Latest news with #KateForbes
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Finally, SNP bans WhatsApp from official mobiles in wake of deleted messages scandal
The use of WhatsApp on Scottish Government devices has been banned following the Covid inquiry deleted messages scandal. The SNP Government confirmed that a new policy which ensures mobile message apps like WhatsApp are removed from its phones, tablets and laptops came into effect yesterday (FRI). It applies to all government employees, including ministers, special advisers, civil servants and contractors. But concerns were raised that the move will not be enough to remove the 'secrecy and evasion' culture in the Scottish Government. During the UK Covid-19 inquiry, it was revealed that former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon 's messages from throughout the pandemic had been deleted, and that national clinical director Jason Leitch said in a private message that 'WhatsApp deletion is a pre-bed ritual'. It led to claims that claims that there was an 'industrial-scale' deletion policy at the Scottish Government in an attempt to avoid scrutiny. Announcing that the new policy restricting mobile messaging apps on Government devices yesterday, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said it was part of a 'commitment to openness and transparency'. Scottish Conservative MSP Craig Hoy said: 'This is as close as we'll get to an apology from the SNP for the shameful, industrial-scale deletion of Covid WhatsApp messages which was orchestrated by John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon. 'This change in policy is all well and good but the horse has already bolted for bereaved families who were denied the answers they deserved over the decisions taken by SNP ministers during the pandemic. 'Secrecy and evasion are hardwired into this SNP government, so the Scottish people will not be duped into thinking one overdue concession marks a change in culture.' The new policy states that mobile messaging apps and non-corporate communication channels will not be permitted on government devices. A small number of business areas will be given a 'transition period' until the end of the year, including those responsible for responding to emergencies such as wildfires or for matters of safety and security. Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: 'None of this changes the fact that the Scottish Government deleted WhatsApp messages on a wholesale basis throughout the pandemic. 'In doing so, they denied the Covid bereaved a full understanding of the decisions that were made, undermining their search for justice and closure. 'The SNP will have to move mountains before people can be confident this deception won't happen again.' Ms Forbes said: 'We are setting out a clear approach to ending government use of mobile messaging apps, and this will support wider work to deliver on our commitment to openness and transparency. 'The use of mobile messaging apps increased during the pandemic as staff worked remotely in unprecedented and difficult circumstances. Having reflected on our working practices, we are now implementing changes to the use of such apps. 'This follows on from actions to implement other recommendations from Ms Martins' externally-led review including updating our hybrid working policy. 'I want to reassure the public that it is a priority of this government to maintain secure and searchable data, ensuring compliance with all records management rules. We will continue to act to ensure our data policies are robust, especially considering technological advances.'
BBC News
7 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Scottish government to remove WhatsApp from phones
The Scottish government is ending the use of WhatsApp and other "non-corporate" messaging services for government business on its mobile move comes after the UK Covid Inquiry revealed officials and ministers had deleted WhatsApp messages exchanged during the government had previously committed to ending its use of WhatsApp and other non-official messaging applications by spring of this First Minister Kate Forbes said the move would increase "openness and transparency" in government - but the Scottish Conservatives said the public "would not be duped into thinking one overdue concession marks a change in culture." But opposition MSPs have said the new policy is a "clear admission" from the government that it was wrong to delete messages from during the policy has now come into affect but some emergency and security teams will continue to phase out the app by the end of the year. As part of the UK Covid Inquiry, it emerged top civil servants and government ministers, including Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney, deleted WhatsApp messages referring to government business which had been requested by the inquiry they said any "salient" points were recorded on the corporate record and only informal messages were Scottish government ministers - including Forbes, who served as finance secretary during the pandemic - said they had retained their WhatsApp successor Humza Yousaf ordered a review of mobile messaging which was carried out by Emma Martins - the former Channel Islands data protection report found there was "little to evidence a consistent and widespread knowledge, understanding, or application" of mobile messaging apps, "including rules around retention, exportation, and deletion". Data policies The Scottish government's policy on mobile messaging applications states that any material relevant to decisions has to be recorded on the corporate Forbes previously said government figures had acted in line with that policy, but that they had "reflected" on the policy in hindsight."The use of mobile messaging apps increased during the pandemic as staff worked remotely in unprecedented and difficult circumstances," she said."Having reflected on our working practices, we are now implementing changes to the use of such apps."The deputy first minister said the policy will apply to all Scottish government employees, including contractors, senior civil servants, special advisers and said ministers and staff should use corporate-approved apps, such as Teams and email, and personal phones should not be used for official business. Forbes said the government prioritised keeping "secure and searchable data" in line with record management added: "We will continue to act to ensure our data policies are robust, especially considering technological advances."Scottish Conservative MSP Craig Hoy said: "This is as close as we'll get to an apology from the SNP for the shameful, industrial-scale deletion of Covid WhatsApp messages which was orchestrated by John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon."This change in policy is all well and good but the horse has already bolted for bereaved families who were denied the answers they deserved over the decisions taken by SNP ministers during the pandemic."Secrecy and evasion are hardwired into this SNP government, so the Scottish people will not be duped into thinking one overdue concession marks a change in culture."The UK government was also criticised over its record-keeping, with former Scottish Secretary Alister Jack telling the inquiry he had deleted all of his messages to create memory space on his Scottish Information Commissioner, who oversees freedom of information laws, also launched a review into how officials and ministers use and retain informal watchdog said the UK Covid inquiry had raised "significant practice concerns" over how ministers used messaging services such as WhatsApp.
The National
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
The abuse I've had just weeks into my journalism career is abhorrent
ON Thursday, our editor published an open letter responding to JK Rowling's claims that The National is an 'anti-women newspaper'. I shared the article on Twitter/X, expecting little to no engagement, given I have only been a professional, paid journalist for about seven weeks and my account had 30 followers. I was mistaken. At the time of writing, my post is sitting at over 600,000 views, with more than double the amount of engagement the original tweet posted from the official National account got. As you might expect when a social media post picks up that kind of traction, I have been inundated with abuse. This week, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes called social media 'destructive', noting that the misogynistic and often personal attacks sent online will have an impact on the number of young women going into politics. She's right, and it's not just politics. Since I started my journalism journey in 2023, being subject to this sort of abuse was something that concerned me. Luckily, I am part of the generation which grew up online and this isn't my first taste of virality. Being labelled a 'pick me' and a 'handmaiden' hasn't quite stung the way comments from TikTok tweens telling me to kill myself over a video of me playing Subway Surfers at a Harry Styles concert did. READ MORE: From the editor: David Lammy's 'clickbait' jibe won't silence us I have no issue with people having different opinions to my own – after all, our differences are what make for meaningful and engaging debate. This kind of dogpiling that is often directed at women, however, is abhorrent and should not be tolerated, especially from those who hide behind anonymous social media accounts. If you have something to say, at least have the courage to show your face. But what saddens me is that there are probably swathes of young women, my age or younger, who are exceptionally talented writers that we will never be exposed to over fears of experiencing this unacceptable behaviour themselves. Journalism is already seriously lacking female voices. We do not need to widen the gender gap any further because people are incapable of civil debate on the internet.
The Herald Scotland
10 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
New £25m landmark whisky distillery fills first casks
Ardgowan Distillery in Inverkip is to formally opened today by Kate Forbes, Scotland's Deputy First Minister, as its first casks are filled since building concluded earlier this month. Founded in 2017, the firm is led by Roland Grain, whisky entrepreneur, and Laura Davies, distillery manager, who together spearhead an expert team with a combined experience spanning over seven decades in the whisky industry. Kate Forbes said it was a 'significant moment'. (Image: Getty Images) Featuring a sweeping Scandinavian longhouse design and 97 per cent recycled aluminium roof, the distillery has its sights set on producing top quality whisky and striving for carbon neutrality. Ms Forbes said: 'This is a significant moment for the region's economy, with investment and job opportunities set to boost local communities. 'Scotland's whisky industry is a pivotal contributor to our positive global standing and provides great economic benefit, adding over £7 billion to the UK economy and generating £5.4bn in exports alone. 'I congratulate the team at Ardgowan for the dedication they have shown on this journey and I wish them every success as they enter the next phase of their operations.' Following eight years of development, planning and construction, it is the first new distillery to open in Inverclyde for over a century. The firm said that, until now, the last distillery to operate in the region was destroyed in the Greenock Blitz. The first casks are filled. (Image: Ardgowan Distillery) Mr Grain said: 'After a lengthy build, the team and I are thrilled to now be in full production and filling casks with our own distillate, including private casks for our Clan Ardgowan members. Ardgowan's ultimate goal is to revive the golden age of Scotch whisky with long Sherry cask maturation in European oak. 'Our commitment to quality is demonstrated by investing millions of pounds in our bespoke Infinity Casks years before the distillery was built. Producing whisky is all about time and patience, so, as we fill our first casks and the Deputy First Minister opens the site to the public, we look forward to steadily perfecting our Single Malt in the years to come.' The Ardgowan Distillery's visitor centre is planned to open later this summer 'with various experiences on offer, catering for whisky novices and connoisseurs alike'. 8,000 new jobs to be created Around 8,000 jobs could be created in an Aberdeenshire town over the next decade as £1 billion is set to be invested into energy transition projects.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Scottish Government ending use of WhatsApp after Covid inquiry criticism
The Scottish Government is now ending the use of WhatsApp and other messaging services on its mobile devices, following criticism in the wake of the Covid inquiry. The Government had previously agreed to end its use of WhatsApp and other non-official messaging applications by spring next year. Opposition MSPs have said the new policy is a 'clear admission' from the Government that the pandemic deletions were wrong. The policy comes into force on Friday though some teams will continue to phase out the app by the end of the year. As part of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, it emerged ministers and top civil servants deleted WhatsApp messages which had been requested by the inquiry team. The Conservatives attacked former first minister Nicola Sturgeon in particular for deleting messages, though she said they did not relate to Government business. Her successor, Humza Yousaf, ordered a review of mobile messaging which was carried out by Emma Martins – the former Channel Islands data protection commissioner. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said the policy will apply to all Scottish Government employees, including contractors, senior civil servants, special advisers and ministers. Ms Forbes said: 'We are setting out a clear approach to ending Government use of mobile messaging apps, and this will support wider work to deliver on our commitment to openness and transparency. 'The use of mobile messaging apps increased during the pandemic as staff worked remotely in unprecedented and difficult circumstances. Having reflected on our working practices, we are now implementing changes to the use of such apps. 'This follows on from actions to implement other recommendations from Ms Martins's externally-led review including updating our hybrid working policy. 'I want to reassure the public that it is a priority of this Government to maintain secure and searchable data, ensuring compliance with all records management rules. 'We will continue to act to ensure our data policies are robust, especially considering technological advances.' Scottish Conservative MSP Craig Hoy said: 'This is as close as we'll get to an apology from the SNP for the shameful, industrial-scale deletion of Covid WhatsApp messages which was orchestrated by John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon. 'This change in policy is all well and good but the horse has already bolted for bereaved families who were denied the answers they deserved over the decisions taken by SNP ministers during the pandemic. 'Secrecy and evasion are hardwired into this SNP Government, so the Scottish people will not be duped into thinking one overdue concession marks a change in culture.'
