NICOLA Sturgeon has called on Dominic Cummings to admit he made a mistake and apologise to the nation.
The First Minister said Boris Johnson's chief aide should admit he did not follow the rules instead of trying to retrospectively rewrite them.
It came as SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford urged Mr Cummings to resign.
Mr Cummings is set to make a public statement later following calls for him to be sacked over allegations he breached coronavirus lockdown restrictions. He will also take questions.
The Downing Street aide has come under fire after it emerged he travelled more than 260 miles to Durham from his home in Islington while his wife had coronavirus symptoms.
Speaking at her daily coronavirus briefing, Ms Sturgeon accused the Prime Minister of putting his political interests ahead of the public interest by supporting Mr Cummings.
Asked what she would like to hear Mr Cummings say to the British people, Ms Sturgeon said: "Perhaps concede that he made a mistake, that he didn't follow the rules, and instead of trying to retrospectively rewrite those rules, to admit he made a mistake and apologise for that.
"That aside, there are lots of detailed questions about his account and the account that was given afterwards by his wife of his isolation that don't to me seem to tally up, but I'm sure there are many journalists who will put those questions to him."
She added: "I think for many people, hearing the Prime Minister last night say that [Mr Cummings] acted appropriately and was following the instinct of any parent, a lot of parents will have heard that as suggesting that by following the rules they didn't act like good parents.
"I think that is really, really unfair and perhaps correcting that suggestion and that impression would be something that he should consider doing."
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