There has been much disquiet at the news that members of the Scottish Government have deleted WhatsApp messages from the time of the Covid crisis, with Nicola Sturgeon being urged this week to give a personal statement at the Scottish Parliament.
Read more: Nicola Sturgeon under pressure as Covid families 'considering' criminal probe
Today one of our readers expresses his deep anger at the situation.
Martin Redfern of Melrose writes:
"My late father-in-law was in a Borders care home during the Covid pandemic when Nicola Sturgeon took the decision to transfer untested patients and those with Covid into care homes.
"The tragically high death toll Covid caused in care homes is widely known, and the horror of those difficult months is something Scots with elderly relatives in care can't forget.
"Many hope for honesty and transparency from Ms Sturgeon and her erstwhile colleagues at the UK Covid Inquiry in Edinburgh, but sadly, this now seems to me unlikely.
"Ms Sturgeon's response at similar inquiries where her actions have been examined has appeared evasive: her Pavlovian replies to too many questions being a variation of 'I can't remember'.
"We learn that she (along with John Swinney and Jason Leitch) systematically deleted all WhatsApp messages. Mr Swinney's and Professor Leitch's appear permanently lost.
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"It's unclear whether Ms Sturgeon's have been retrieved, but why did she delete them in the first place, after insisting in outraged tones, at her Covid TV briefings, that she would never do such an appalling thing? Deleting communications clearly won't assist anyone's inadequate memory.
"In London, the inquiry's examination of WhatsApp messages lent invaluable insight into decision-making, highlighting differing attitudes and opinions amongst those in power in London and affording us a glimpse through political spin.
"Ms Sturgeon's actions may conceal at least part of the truth of what really happened in what was arguably one of the most significant times in our history.
"Is she trying to cover up that she principally copied Westminster yet claimed otherwise? Did she- aim to use Covid to revitalise her independence ambitions? Did she behave dictatorially or collegiately with her Cabinet?
"When she appears before the inquiry, we'll doubtless hear much from her about Westminster and witness her usual blame-game spiel. Yet I fear it's less likely we'll achieve an adequate understanding of what truly went on in her administration during Covid."
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