Six ministers used WhatsApp for Scottish Government business last year, but no sign of messages

Six Scottish ministers, including health secretary Humza Yousaf, have used WhatsApp to conduct government business in the past year, raising fresh fears over transparency.Mr Yousaf was the highest-profile name to use the encrypted messaging service for government business in a year where his failure to improve NHS performance has seen calls for his resignation.Officials did not release their messages following enquiries by The Scotsman, claiming the latter would require a search of all information relating to each minister and be too expensive.Maree Todd, minister for public health, women’s health and sport, and Kevin Stewart, minister for mental wellbeing and social care, were included in the list.Neil Gray, minister for culture, Europe and international development with special responsibility for Ukrainian refugees, who is viewed as a potential dark horse for the SNP leadership once Nicola Sturgeon steps down, is the other political minister who used WhatsApp for government business.Dorothy Bain, the Lord Advocate, and Ruth Charteris, the Solicitor General, are the final two ministers listed as as using WhatsApp. It is not clear whether the messages covered legal advice.The revelation comes almost a year after the Scottish Government claimed no ministers had used WhatsApp for government business across two months in
Read More