Sturgeon says Covid inquiry does have pandemic messages from her device

Nicola Sturgeon said: ‘Although these had not been retained on my own device, I was able to obtain copies which I submitted to the Inquiry last year.’ Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

Nicola Sturgeon has said the UK Covid inquiry “does have messages” between her and those she communicated with during the pandemic, after it emerged they had been deleted from her device.

The former first minister of Scotland posted on X that she will “answer questions directly and openly” when she gives evidence to the inquiry at the end of January.