By Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) – Former Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon on Wednesday said she had deleted WhatsApp messages from the COVID pandemic but defended her use of the messaging app, saying it was limited and not used for government decision-making. Sturgeon was Scotland’s longest-serving first minister, in charge of the devolved Edinburgh administration, leading her Scottish National Party (SNP) to a series of resounding electoral successes before her abrupt resignation a year ago. Her legacy has been damaged by a police investigation into the SNP’s finances during her leadership,…