A first class article Iain, which underlines much of what is wrong with the governance of Scotland. That senior ministers felt that they were entitled to act with impunity, secure in the knowledge that they could delete anything that might embarrass them or highlight mistakes displays a breathtaking disregard for their proper accountability to Parliament and to the people they rule.
Sadly, it also underlines the abject failure of the Scottish Parliament to hold the Executive to account, so blatantly observed in the whitewash of their behaviour over Alex Salmond.
As a strong supporter of Scottish Independence, I quail at the thought of being ruled by people like them with absolutely no checks and balances over their conduct.
This whole Whatsapp debate really annoys me. ALL govt communications should be on record, and they should all be retained. Sturgeon's govt was also notable for its many unminuted meetings though I don't know how far back that went.
Ministers and civil servants at Westminster, Holyrood, et al should all be instructed that their messages to each other must be recorded and retained, and stop pretending that, because legislation hasn't caught up with the latest messaging system it doesn't count.
A first class article Iain, which underlines much of what is wrong with the governance of Scotland. That senior ministers felt that they were entitled to act with impunity, secure in the knowledge that they could delete anything that might embarrass them or highlight mistakes displays a breathtaking disregard for their proper accountability to Parliament and to the people they rule.
Sadly, it also underlines the abject failure of the Scottish Parliament to hold the Executive to account, so blatantly observed in the whitewash of their behaviour over Alex Salmond.
As a strong supporter of Scottish Independence, I quail at the thought of being ruled by people like them with absolutely no checks and balances over their conduct.
It is now a sobering prospect.
This whole Whatsapp debate really annoys me. ALL govt communications should be on record, and they should all be retained. Sturgeon's govt was also notable for its many unminuted meetings though I don't know how far back that went.
Ministers and civil servants at Westminster, Holyrood, et al should all be instructed that their messages to each other must be recorded and retained, and stop pretending that, because legislation hasn't caught up with the latest messaging system it doesn't count.