Humza Yousaf branded Rangers chief ‘pig-headed’ in title party row WhatsApp chat with John Swinney…
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HUMZA Yousaf blasted a Rangers boss as “pig-headed” after the Gers chief complained about John Swinney publicly “telling lies” about the club, explosive WhatsApp messages reveal.
The SNP former First Minister slammed the Ibrox club’s ex managing director Stewart Robertson in secret texts from 2021 – revealed today after a four-year transparency battle.
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The Scottish Government was forced to reveal the highly sensitive messages about Rangers’ title celebrations that year following an appeal by the Scottish Sun, after initially refusing to disclose them.
And they show how Rangers chiefs were fuming after First Minister Mr Swinney – Nicola Sturgeon’s No2 at the time – said fans had been an “absolute disgrace” amid Covid restrictions and the club had failed to properly warn them.
The messages were sent on March 8, 2021 – the day after Rangers won the title after Celtic‘s 0-0 draw against Dundee United, ending the Hoops’ ten-in-a-row bid.
And Mr Yousaf also took a swipe at Police Scotland chiefs – suggesting they were too slow to slam Rangers and its fans.
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In a bombshell exchange, Mr Yousaf forwards on a message from Mr Robertson to Mr Swinney – who had that day blasted Rangers and its fans in a TV Covid briefing.
Mr Robertson’s message read: “Hi Humza, John Swinney is factually incorrect as we did remind the fans on both Friday and Saturday about the Covid regulations.
“I understand that he is going to make political capital but telling lies is completely unacceptable.
“I take it you won’t continue to perpetuate untruths if you are asked about them in Parliament tomorrow?
“It was Rangers that initiated discussions with the Scottish Government and Police Scotland on this issue a couple of weeks ago.
“We offered to engage with your department on Saturday when you said you would chase up Police Scotland. We never received a reply.
Rangers title party: fighting breaks out among fans as riot police move in to disperse George Square crowds
“We will not have lies told about us without having a public right to reply I’m afraid.”
Then, in a message to Mr Swinney explaining Mr Robertson’s message, Mr Yousaf says: “That’s from the director at Rangers.
“Just an example of the pig-headedness of what we are dealing with here.”
Mr Swinney faced the accusation of lying by the Rangers chief after telling the Monday Covid briefing that the behaviour of some fans had been an “absolute disgrace”.
Echoing earlier criticism from Nicola Sturgeon, he added: “To see so many people deliberately flouting rules with no regard for the safety of others is shameful.”
And slamming Rangers’ handling of the celebrations, Mr Swinney said: “There should have been sustained messaging from Rangers throughout the weekend.
“That would have given a very clear signal from the leadership of the club.”
The exchange also shows Mr Yousaf and the now-First Minister discussing whether the Chief Constable at the time – Iain Livingstone – should appear on the SNP government’s Covid TV briefing following the scenes with Rangers fans.
And Mr Yousaf also took a swipe at Police Scotland’s then deputy chief constable, Malcolm Graham, suggesting cops had been slow to respond.
Mr Swinney told Mr Yousaf in a message on March 8: “I see Malcolm Graham has made a sensible intervention.”
Rangers vs SNP timeline
March 7, 2021: Rangers clinch the Premiership title after Celtic draw 0–0 with Dundee United
March 7, 2021: Nicola Sturgeon labels the celebrations “infuriating and disgraceful” and urges Rangers to ask people to go home
March 8, 2021, midday: John Swinney tells the Scottish Government’s daily Covid briefing Rangers should have told fans to stay at home
March 8, 2021, 4.14pm: Humza Yousaf shares text to him from Stewart Robertson – the managing director of Rangers – accusing Mr Swinney of lying, with Mr Swinney
March 8, 2021, 4.15pm: Mr Yousaf complains about the “pig-headedness” from Rangers
March 8, 2021, 10.52pm: Mr Swinney responds but avoids commenting on the message from Rangers. He welcomes Police Scotland’s comment.
March 9, 2021: Ms Sturgeon says she “cannot simply turn a blind eye” to the Rangers celebration and repeats that Rangers should have done more to stop the celebrations
May 15, 2021: Rangers players and staff celebrate their Premiership title win at Ibrox. Fans are locked out of due to Covid restrictions.
May 17: Cops say they’re aware of a video on social media “apparently showing Rangers players using sectarian language”. Humza Yousaf tweets: “If (I stress if) this clip is genuine then any player or staff member found to be guilty of anti- Catholic hatred should be shown the door by the club.”
May 21: Police say “no criminality has been established”. Rangers FC slam “political representatives” who shared the video.”
June 27: Mr Yousaf texts Scottish Government national clinical director Prof Jason Leitch to say he “got pi**ed off” at BBC for asking “all this crap about Rangers and video. Rehashing the usual crap”.
July 14: Mr Yousaf tells Prof Leitch he has been “getting some heat from Rangers” and their MD – Stewart Robertson – “won’t stop messaging” about when full crowds will be allowed back.
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Mr Yousaf replied – appearing to gloat about Gers bosses – saying: “A bit late in the day but they got there…Rangers will be fuming.”
Mr Graham’s statement that day had said: “The behaviour which we saw at the weekend was disgraceful and I utterly condemn the individuals who chose to completely disregard the coronavirus regulations, putting both the wider community and our officers at risk.
“I also strongly condemn the lack of support from Rangers Football Club over the messages we repeatedly asked them to put out to persuade fans not to go out celebrating and encourage those who did gather in large numbers to return home.”
The messages have only been released after Nats ministers were slammed by Scotland’s transparency tsar for hiding hundreds of Covid WhatsApp texts.
Information commissioner David Hamilton previously accused ministers of undermining freedom of information laws over their “inexplicable” refusal to provide messages when initially asked for them in 2021.
Nicola Sturgeon came under fire for pledging to keep WhatsApps – then wiping them.
The Scottish Sun previously revealed how Mr Yousaf said he was “pi**ed off” at being asked “all this crap about Rangers” in exchanges in June 2021.
The ex-First Minister told of his anger after a BBC reporter quizzed him on his controversial call for Gers aces to be sacked if they’d chanted sectarian slogans.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
A month earlier, when he was Justice Secretary, Mr Yousaf had reacted to a now-discredited video which wrongly claimed to show Light Blues players chanting “f*** the Pope” while celebrating their Premiership title win at Ibrox.
The Scottish Government, Mr Yousaf and Rangers have been contacted for comment.
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