Humza Yousaf admits 'winging it' after being appointed Health Secretary during covid pandemic

Humza Yousaf made regular appearances at covid media briefings in 2021

Humza Yousaf admitted he was “winging it” in the weeks after he was appointed Health Secretary during the pandemic, the UK Covid Inquiry has heard.

In a text message exchange from June 2021, the now First Minister joked with Jason Leitch about settling into his new Cabinet role and worrying he would “get found out sooner rather than later”.

The transcript was shared by the inquiry as part of its on-going investigation into how Westminster and the devolved administrations responded to the global health crisis.

In a message sent on June 6, Yousaf said: “Everyone of course is a health expert”.

Leitch, the National Clinical Director, responded: “You actually are! Three weeks training.”

The SNP minister joked: “I am winging it! And will get found out sooner rather than later.”

Yousaf was put in charge of the health brief by Nicola Sturgeon in May 2021 shortly after that month’s Holyrood election which saw the SNP retain power.

The strictest lockdown measures had been lifted by that time but Scots still faced tough social distancing regulations in their day-to-day lives.

The roll-out of the covid vaccine was picking up pace in spring 2021 and would lead to the easing of other restrictions.

But the NHS faced massive pressures after it cancelled non-essential procedures the previous year to focus on the covid response.

Patients continue to face huge waiting times for certain treatments.

Separate WhatsApp messages also revealed Yousaf and Leitch used insulting language about opposition politicians.

The SNP member described a female Labour MSP as a “new girl” and said a Tory MSP had been “harrumphing like a child”.

Yousaf also described the Scottish Police Federation as a “disgrace” while serving as justice secretary earlier in the pandemic.

And it was shown a text message exchange between Nicola Sturgeon and her chief of staff Liz Lloyd in which the then First Minister referred to Boris Johnson as a “f*****g clown”.

Lloyd also said at one point that she wanted a “good old fashioned rammy” with the UK Government so she could “think about something other than sick people”.

The former political adviser who was a close ally of sturgeon, told the inquiry in her evidence on Thursday that she was “looking for a public spat with a purpose” over the UK Government’s furlough scheme as “public spats could often deliver results”.

The inquiry was previously told that Sturgeon failed to keep any of her messages from the pandemic but the exchange was handed over to the inquiry by Lloyd.

The former SNP is due to give evidence next week.

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