Russell Findlay calls Nicola Sturgeon a charlatan during Covid

In a recent interview, Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tory leader, launched a scathing attack on former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, labeling her a 'charlatan' rather than a 'saint' during the Covid pandemic. Findlay highlighted the detrimental decisions made by Sturgeon’s administration, including sending Covid-positive patients into care homes, failing to provide adequate support for businesses, and keeping schools closed for extended periods, which he described as having 'punitive restrictions' and 'stupid rules.' This public criticism comes in the wake of Sturgeon's denial that she was 'hostile' toward the media during her Covid briefings, for which she had claimed to exhibit 'competence and compassion'. Findlay, reflecting on the SNP's track record under Sturgeon and her predecessor, Alex Salmond, argued that the party exhibited similar levels of entitlement to those that plagued Labour before them. He further suggested that both Sturgeon and Salmond had fostered a culture of hostility toward journalism, which he felt impeded proper public scrutiny. Findlay drew particular attention to how Sturgeon’s handling of Covid raised her profile, which he argued felt more like political grandstanding rather than genuine communication to the public. He also reiterated his criticisms regarding Sturgeon's policies on transgender offenders, specifically regarding the case of Isla Bryson, a male-born individual convicted of rapes committed prior to their declaration as transgender. Findlay asserted that Sturgeon should be held accountable for what he termed a 'mess' created by her own policies, emphasizing how these decisions compromised the safety of women in prisons. His ongoing scrutiny of Sturgeon’s legacy includes lamentations over the SNP’s administration and its apparent disregard for public concerns while promoting their agenda, leading him to call into question the integrity and transparency of her leadership throughout her tenure.