Nicola Sturgeon’s memoirs should be banned from publication until diaries containing information from the coronavirus pandemic have been produced, a group of grieving relatives have claimed.
The Scottish Covid Bereaved, a group of families represented at the Covid inquiries, has written to First Minister Humza Yousaf to establish what legal action he will be taking to stop publication.
Writing on behalf of the group, its lawyer Aamer Anwar notes Ms Sturgeon is quoted as saying she plans to document three decades of her life in politics.
Readers were told to expect to go behind the scenes and learn how it felt to be ‘in the room’ and how decisions were made.
Mr Anwar said: ‘It is difficult to understand how Ms Sturgeon can provide an accurate account, several years removed, of being in the room, who was present, the relationships involved, and how decisions were arrived at without having any contemporaneous notes to assist her.
Nicola Sturgeon is writing her memoirs
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon holds one of her many COVID-19 briefings
‘Can you advise what steps you will take to gain information on obtaining the material which essentially should remain the property of the Scottish Government?
Can you confirm whether you will take any legal action to stop publication of the diaries and obtain what is essential information for the Government to produce to the inquiry?’
The Scottish Covid Bereaved believes it is an important principle of government transparency and accountability that official records are kept of key actions and decisions.
It says relevant information that exists in the private correspondence channels of public authorities should be available and included in responses to information requests received.
On the group’s behalf, Mr Anwar added: ‘It ought to have been blindingly obvious to the politicians and civil servants from that date, that their contemporaneous messages may be of relevance to a public inquiry.’
In August, publishers Pan Macmillan announced Ms Sturgeon’s book – for which she has already received a £75,000 payment – will cover all of the important events and debates during her time in politics, including Brexit and Covid.
It claims the memoirs will be ‘a deeply personal and revealing memoir from one of Britain’s most significant political leaders of recent times’.
Last month she updated her registered interests on the parliamentary website to reflect the payment in August, the first of four for her book.
She said: ‘I estimate that work on the book will account for around 10-15 hours per week.’
Critics hit out at the sizeable lump sum paid out to Ms Sturgeon, who has pledged to set aside time each week to write.
Experts estimate she could make as much as £1 million from the deal.
Ms Sturgeon announced her resignation as First Minister in February and her husband Peter Murrell stepped down from his role as SNP chief executive the following month.
Both were arrested and questioned over SNP finances and released without charge, pending further investigation.
She went on to set up a new company to handle income from her earnings outside politics, registering Nicola Sturgeon Limited at Companies House just weeks after she signed a book deal for the memoirs.
Last week, the Scottish Covid Inquiry heard Ms Sturgeon ignored the plight of care home residents who were ‘incarcerated’ during the pandemic.
She was accused of not having residents ‘on her radar’ as she held daily briefings during the outbreak of the disease.
Relatives revealed the distress suffered by those who had loved ones inside care homes throughout that period.
Members of Care Home Relatives Scotland, who campaigned throughout the lockdowns for more access to those in facilities, said that despite repeated attempts, they were never given the chance to discuss the rules with Ms Sturgeon.
Alison Leitch said they were left ‘very disappointed’ by the lack of a meeting.
She said: ‘The First Minister seemed to meet, or send messages out to, certain demographics.
‘There was a message to children that Santa was still a key worker; she met with the Scottish Covid Bereaved; there was the message to students telling them to go home for Christmas one year.
But I always felt that our residents were just not on her radar.’