91Èȱ¬

UK government ministers were "afraid of Nicola Sturgeon" during the pandemic, according to the first minister of Wales.

Mark Drakeford told the UK Covid inquiry her "underlying ambition" for Scottish independence meant she was treated differently from other politicians.

He also described Scotland's former first minister as a "formidable politician" and claimed some UK ministers avoided confrontation.

Ms Sturgeon has previously said none of her decisions during the crisis were influenced by political factors.

The UK Covid inquiry is nearing the end of three weeks of sessions held in Wales, having previously heard from witnesses in London and Edinburgh.

Giving evidence on Wednesday, Mr Drakeford said Boris Johnson was like an "absent" football manager during the pandemic.

And he said it was "extraordinary" that the then prime minister did not regularly meet leaders of devolved governments early in 2020.

The Welsh first minister said he had the "highest regard" for his counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland during the global health crisis, adding "they were never anything but collegiate people".

But he continued: "The UK government was always anxious about their interactions with the FM of Scotland because she had a different underlying ambition for the future of Scotland and that coloured their attitude towards her.

"She's also a formidable politician.

"Many UK ministers were afraid of her and would not like to be involved in a confrontational dialogue with her."

However, the Labour politician said this was not true of Mr Johnson who "didn’t want to give the impression the prime minister of the UK was somehow on a par with first ministers of other nations."

Ms Sturgeon maintained a high profile during the pandemic, fronting daily media briefings in Scotland.

But during the inquiry's sessions in Edinburgh, she denied seeking political advantage, insisting she "had never thought less" about politics and Scottish independence in her life than during the Covid crisis.

She told the inquiry: "I will always know in my heart, and in my soul, that my instincts and my motivation was nothing other than trying to do the best in the face of this pandemic."

During his evidence, Mr Drakeford was also asked about the cancellation of the Wales v Scotland Six Nations match on 13 March 2020 – just a day before kick off, after 20,000 Scotland fans had descended on Cardiff.

He said it had been a matter for the Welsh Rugby Union, but he made it clear his government would back whatever decision the WRU took.

Mr Drakeford said he himself had been arguing in the Cobra emergency committee that the match should not go ahead, but he had no medical evidence to support the conclusion and the matter was "hotly contested".

Without firm guidance to cancel from the Welsh government, the WRU initially decided on the evening of Thursday 12 March the game could go ahead.

The following day with many sporting fixtures being cancelled, the board changed its mind.