FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has rejected reports that she had workers in for “painting and decorating” in her official Edinburgh residence.
The Daily Record newspaper ran a story saying Bute House was “decorated by painters despite lockdown” – but Sturgeon insisted the work carried out related to essential safety repairs.
An insider told the newspaper: “A contractor carried out the work on behalf of Historic Environment Scotland, who were working on Nicola Sturgeon’s Bute House residence.
“They needed a significant amount of paint to get the job done.
“But painters, decorators and tradespeople are not allowed currently to work in homes or residences.”
Asked about the report during her briefing this afternoon, the First Minister said she was “really glad” to get the opportunity to address the story.
She told viewers the impression the article gave was “not accurate”, adding she felt it was important to discuss as many people struggle with the impact of Covid-19 restrictions.
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“I know and understand that nothing infuriates people right now more than the sense that there’s one law for everybody and somehow another law for people like me, and that is not true,” she said.
Explaining what happened, the First Minister said: “Firstly I’m not staying in Bute House just now. I haven’t set foot in Bute House since the first lockdown, because back then I decided to minimise the number of staff that were having to be in Bute House, to cut my own contacts as much as possible, I was going to stay in my own home and that’s what I’ve been doing since the first lockdown.
“So I haven’t been in Bute House, it’s not being used right now as a residence so it’s not a home as it was described this morning.”
Sturgeon added that the work carried out was “essential safety work”. She went on: “The explanation I’m about to give here is probably not a technical one but it’s been to pin part of a ceiling or the plaster work of a ceiling that was deemed essential because the state it was in was unsafe.
“And I think there was some security work done at the same time. There has been no painting and decorating done, and that was the suggestion in the newspaper this morning. It was essential work for safety reasons, not painting and decorating.”
Sturgeon said the rules we are living under apply to everyone, including her and other government ministers. When she’s not required to be in Edinburgh for essential work, she said she is staying at home like everyone else.
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“I’m not exempt from these rules and nor should I be,” she added.
The official Covid-19 rules state: “The coronavirus regulations require that work carried out in someone else’s home for the maintenance, upkeep or functioning of the home must only be carried out where it is essential or where that house is unoccupied.”
Opposition MSPs had attacked Sturgeon over the reports, with Labour’s Rhoda Grant calling the works a “slap in the face” to Scots observing lockdown restrictions.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Essential ceiling pinning work has taken place in January at Bute House and was completed on Monday.
“Contractors managed by Historic Environment Scotland follow all Government guidelines and restrictions and adhere to Covid protocols at all times.”
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