NO decision has yet been taken as to whether Nicola Sturgeon will continue to front daily Covid-19 briefings in the lead up to May’s Holyrood election, the First Minister has said.
The Scottish Government's daily media conferences on the pandemic are fronted, most days, by Ms Sturgeon – to set out the latest news and issues around the fight against the virus and the vaccine rollout.
But in the pre-election period, known as purdah, when Holyrood is dissolved and campaigning begins, restrictions are placed on what civil servants can do and the use of public resources.
Recess at Holyrood is set to begin on March 25, six weeks ahead of the election scheduled for May 6, with no regular parliamentary business expected in between.
Ms Sturgeon was asked about the prospect of her continuing to front the media briefings during the election campaign.
She stressed that “what the BBC broadcasts is not a matter for me, it’s a matter for the BBC”.
The First Minister added: "When you have an election campaign, and this is true for UK ministers as well, somebody like me, First Minister or a minister, you don’t stop legally being a minister during the election campaign.
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“You have the same responsibilities to the country even through that.
“At a time like this, I’m not going to stop doing my job because it is really important as we steer the country through this pandemic.”
She said: “I am not doing to stop doing my job for as long as I’m in this job that I'm doing.
“How people report that and how people take account of the election campaign, I’m sure will become clearer as we go on. We’re not there yet.
“We’re in this pandemic, we’re undertaking a massive logistical exercise with the vaccination programme – that will continue to be what I focus on.”
National clinical director, Professor Jason Leitch, insisted that “public health information is crucial during a pandemic”.
He added: “You could argue it’s crucial even when we’re not in a pandemic. “Particularly just now, I do think people do need to know what the rules are, how to follow them and the progress of the pandemic.”
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