Yousaf refuses independent investigation into unminuted Gold Command meetings

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today accused Humza Yousaf’s government of “secrecy and silence” after the First Minister blocked a ministerial code investigation into the absence of minutes for Gold Command meetings, which were held between those at the very top of government during the Covid-19 response.

On 31st January, Mr Cole-Hamilton wrote to the First Minister to ask if he would investigate a potential breach of the Scottish Ministerial Code. This followed evidence heard by the UK Covid Inquiry that no minutes were kept of meetings held throughout the pandemic between Nicola Sturgeon, cabinet secretaries and senior policy advisers.

The Scottish Ministerial Code states that meetings below the level of cabinet which involve discussions between two or more ministers should be minuted. It also states that ministers are committed to uphold the seven principles of public life (the Nolan principles), one of which is openness. It states that: “holders of public office should act and take decision in an open and transparent manner.”

A ministerial code breach investigation is conducted by the First Minister's independent adviser on the ministerial code, James Hamilton. However, the ability to trigger such an investigation is reserved to the First Minister.

In his reply, the First Minister states that, “it is difficult to see” how a ministerial code investigation “could add to the existing scrutiny of the judge-led statutory inquiries.”

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

"Humza Yousaf is the only one who can decide if there should be an independent probe into whether the SNP government broke the Ministerial Code and he is standing in the way of full disclosure.

“The Ministerial Code could not be clearer- these meetings should have been minuted. By refusing to investigate this, Humza Yousaf is doing everything he can to dodge questions and keep grieving families in the dark.  

“It is simply wrong and incredibly bold for the First Minister to suggest an investigation would not help the inquiry. An investigation would only work in tandem with the public inquiry. It would provide the inquiry with the full picture that ministers have sought to undermine through their chaotic record-keeping and mass deletion of WhatsApp messages. It would also inspire more trust, rather than simply allowing the government to investigate itself as the First Minister proposes.

“Bereaved families deserve far better than a government more interested in covering its tracks than providing answers. From their refusals to their deletions, from their omissions to their obfuscations, this government is hardwired to secrecy and silence. The pernicious arrogance at the heart of that is breathtaking.”