Information pertaining to WhatsApp messages: FOI Appeal [106 pages of WhatsApp messages now released after appeal]

by abz_eng

9 comments

  1. > Following your correspondence to the Scottish Information Commissioner relating to an appeal on the handling of your reviews 202100255912 and 202100255908 regarding obtaining WhatsApp and text messages relating to Government business for March 2021 and August 2021. I have reconsidered our responses and am issuing the following revised review response.
    >
    > I have concluded that a new decision should be substituted, and we are no longer relying on section 17 (information not held) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“FOISA”).
    >
    > While we aim to provide information wherever possible, in this case exemptions apply to some of the information. It is worth noting that following the extensive range of evidence being gathered for the Covid Inquires this enabled current and former Ministers to identify WhatsApp and text messages that were thought not to be in scope previously, or for them to access messages previously deleted via other individuals who hold messages.
    >
    > Please note that to date we did not receive a response from one former Minister, Roseanna Cunningham.

    So they were held

  2. [The sun has trawled](https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/12295133/snp-chiefs-release-106-pages-whatsapp-messages/) through and some highlights

    >Messages released include one from Ms Sturgeon as she was grilled over the SNP’s handling of sexual harassment complaints against one of its MPs, Patrick Grady.

    >In a message to her chief of staff, Liz Lloyd, the former SNP leader complains: “I am reaching my outer limits of being able to put up with stuff.”

    and

    >Another shows the First Minister and then Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, admitting he was behind on government papers, flippantly adding “story of my life”.

    they point out

    >However many remain heavily redacted as ministers continue to attempt to cover-up how they use the encrypted messaging system.

  3. How the fuck are politicians saying juicy stuff on WhatsApp thinking nobody will ever find out about it.

  4. What’s surprised me the most of all of this is how much of a nothingburger it’s all turned out to be. 

  7. Will be interesting to see what stories come from this, I had a bit of a nosy, but it’s all rather mundane or redacted.

    The most contentious thing I saw was

    >30/08/2021, 15:58 – Gregor Smith CMO: Just saw the submission on marketing.
    [Redacted – Section 38(1)(b)] is a great choice, but much as I love JG and get on with her really well, she’s terribly divisive and won’t reach the people beyond where
    we already reach. It’s like using an echo chamber.

    >30/08/2021, 16:01 – Humza: I said exactly the same

  8. Oh no.

    Someone in the SNP used a common benign phrase talking to a colleague.

    Surely this shows the utter depravity and corruption at the heart of the SNP.

    Only the Blessed Knight of the Realm, the Sainted Keir Starmer, and his trusty stable boy Sarwar can save the Scots from foolishly getting ideas above their station.

  9. These are costing the tax payer tens of thousands of pounds and revealing nothing.

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