Steerpike Steerpike

Where’s Nicola Sturgeon?

Scottish health minister Jeane Freeman

After being accused last night of misleading the Scottish parliament, Nicola Sturgeon’s daily Covid briefing was high on Mr Steerpike’s watch list today. Alas upon tuning in, viewers were greeted with the sight of Jeane Freeman, the country’s health secretary (under fire for quite different reasons) rather than her embattled party leader.

Asked by Sky about whether Sturgeon should resign, Freeman snapped back that: ‘This is a Covid briefing and that is what I am here to answer questions on’ before (quelle surprise) saying she still believed her colleague did not mislead parliament and that she should not resign.

So where is Sturgeon and why is not doing her much loved daily presser? Supporters of the First Minister have argued that the BBC and other channels ought to keep giving the SNP leader airtime to update the public and repeat the Scottish government’s Covid messaging. But if Sturgeon is going to skip briefings and then rant

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