New Scottish COVID-19 Restrictions 07/10/2020

[haggishunter]

One way or another a mechanism should be able to be agreed that allows Scotland to borrow money to support businesses to sustain tougher pandemic restrictions. I think it will be wasted money but as long as my taxes aren't funding it then I don't care.

There's almost no potential for such an agreement because it rather suits the Scottish Tories to be able to squeal that the Scottish Government must do something to provide financial support over and above what HM Government is doing when the Scottish Tories know full well HM Govt controls the purse strings, disingenuous is putting it mildly. Could take this thread way off-piste on the subject of EVEL, but will leave that. Boris is a Brexiteer PM, his govt is simply not going to grant more powers to devolved administrations. Everything HM Govt has done outside Covid this summer has been in the opposite direction.

 

[Mugby]

Surely a lot of people will have no work as a result of these latest measures. Has the Scottish Government said anything about paying their wages for the duration?

 

[Journeyman]

Surely a lot of people will have no work as a result of these latest measures. Has the Scottish Government said anything about paying their wages for the duration?

No, funnily enough. No doubt they'll find some way to blame the English for the economic devastation.

 

[haggishunter]

Surely a lot of people will have no work as a result of these latest measures. Has the Scottish Government said anything about paying their wages for the duration?

It was stated that the SG has set aside £40m to top up the furlough scheme - equivalent of paying the employer contribution and discussions about how to bring that into effect are ongoing. Other support mechanisms for businesses that have to close also being looked into.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

I just fear what'll happen in two weeks time if there's no improvement in case numbers. More restrictions? Extension of these restrictions? Or will the government finally realise that this virus will do what every other virus does: spread?

 

[HSTEd]

I just fear what'll happen in two weeks time if there's no improvement in case numbers. More restrictions? Extension of these restrictions? Or will the government finally realise that this virus will do what every other virus does: spread?

She will blame the English.

 

[C J Snarzell]

Does anyone else think Nicola Sturgeon looked really unwell when she held the press briefing today?

CJ

 

[bramling]

Does anyone else think Nicola Sturgeon looked really unwell when she held the press briefing today?

CJ

Yes I noticed it yesterday as well. She looks under the weather.

To be fair it’s not entirely surprising, she said herself this is weighing quite heavily on her, and unlike certain other politicians love her or loathe her she has at least kept herself visible right through this.

 

[Journeyman]

Yes I noticed it yesterday as well. She looks under the weather.

To be fair it’s not entirely surprising, she said herself this is weighing quite heavily on her, and unlike certain other politicians love her or loathe her she has at least kept herself visible right through this.

...for what seems like entirely selfish and politically motivated reasons.

 

[takno]

...for what seems like entirely selfish and politically motivated reasons.

I don't think she's that cynical. I don't doubt for a second that she's devastatingly and destructively wrong, but it's because she's stupid and obsessed, not cynical

 

[bramling]

I don't think she's that cynical. I don't doubt for a second that she's devastatingly and destructively wrong, but it's because she's stupid and obsessed, not cynical

Time will tell on that score. I think there’s certainly an element of trying to do what she thinks is the right thing. But there’s also an element of wanting to make a point about leadership and being hamstrung by Westminster in order to bolster the independence dream.

What the balance is between these two factors will become evident in time. There have however been a couple of subtle clues dropped in, for example about how elimination would be possible were it not for the border, and just today about the finite supply of funding. If we start to hear more on these two themes then it will be very clear that the I word is foremost in her mind.

Unfortunately knowing how ideologically wedded she is to independence, one can’t help but take a cynical view.

 

[Journeyman]

I don't think she's that cynical. I don't doubt for a second that she's devastatingly and destructively wrong, but it's because she's stupid and obsessed, not cynical

It just strikes me that at every step she's desperately using this as an attempt to build support for independence by trying to prove how much better she is than Boris, while simultaneously groping about in the dark. I hope the comments she made in June about being on the verge of eliminating the virus in Scotland come back to haunt her at election time.

I'm utterly sick of her insincere, calculating and dishonest politicising of all of this, and I desperately want the SNP out before they completely trash the Scottish economy and rip the UK to pieces.

 

[Ian Cunningham]

Is there any evidence whatsover to suggest that the increase in cases in Scotland is caused by a whole load of plague ridden Sassenachs crossing the border (myself included between August 29th and September 7th) and bringing their nasty germs with them?

I don't think there is. A lot opened up in quick succession around that time including indoor hospitality (there should have been about a 3 week gap between outdoor and indoor opening but that ended up being about a week) I doubt you could pin the blame on any one change specifically unless Test and Protect data showed specific hotspots or links bewteen cases

 

[HSTEd]

I don't think she's that cynical. I don't doubt for a second that she's devastatingly and destructively wrong, but it's because she's stupid and obsessed, not cynical

She's a high level politician.
She has to be that cynical to reach her position, let alone keep it so long.

 

[yorkie]

Can we stick to discussing Scottish COVID-19 Restrictions please and try not to make it too political. If anyone wishes to have a spin-off discussion about something else, please create a new thread in the relevant forum section, if there isn't one already.

 

[Carlisle]

A lot opened up in quick succession around that time including indoor hospitality (there should have been about a 3 week gap between outdoor and indoor opening but that ended up being about a week)

However the decision to delay outdoor hospitality’s reopening was primarily her’s as far as I’m aware

 

[kylemore]

All this is being done on the basis of "cases".

However what we are really talking about are "positive" RT PCR tests which are not directly detecting covid 19 or more properly sars cov 2. Remember there is no test for sars covid 2. The test is wildly inaccurate, the false positive rate is enormous - probably around 90%.

The vast majority of "positives" are asymptomatic.

So on the basis of this unscientific nonsense the knife is being put in to an already mortally wounded economy.

However it's heartening to see the growing number of people on here who can now see through it and are getting angry.

I hope things do get ugly and a message is sent to the rogues at the top of all parties.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I understand that restricting travel for certain reasons in certain areas may be necessary, but an arbitrary closure of the Anglo-Scottish border is unnecessary and would cause extreme hardship to the very large number of people who live one side, and work, shop, socialise, conduct business and access services on the other. It's far too arbitrary a measure that would give nationalists a hard-on but would enrage many others. The Scottish border is absolutely not a fully fledged international border, at least not yet, and it should not be treated as one.

I'd agree over Wales, but is it that large a number given the vast swathe of relative nothingness between Carlisle and the Central Belt?

 

[DB]

I'd agree over Wales, but is it that large a number given the vast swathe of relative nothingness between Carlisle and the Central Belt?

Where do people in the smaller villages and towns (Gretna Green, Annan, etc) near the border work? I would guess that in a good few cases it's Carlisle.

 

[Huntergreed]

Where do people in the smaller villages and towns (Gretna Green, Annan, etc) near the border work? I would guess that in a good few cases it's Carlisle.

As a resident of that area, I can confirm that is indeed the case (including Dumfries, which has a reasonably sizeable population)

 

[Journeyman]

I'd agree over Wales, but is it that large a number given the vast swathe of relative nothingness between Carlisle and the Central Belt?

I live near Edinburgh, and before the pandemic hit I spent two weeks a month in Kent for work. It's not unusual at all. I hope I can go back to that arrangement soon.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I live near Edinburgh, and before the pandemic hit I spent two weeks a month in Kent for work. It's not unusual at all. I hope I can go back to that arrangement soon.

And I hope I can go back to one day a week in the office. But as things stand, closing the border between Scotland and England would affect that just as much as sticking a border around the M25 would affect me, i.e. not at all because it's presently not possible anyway.

 

[Journeyman]

And I hope I can go back to one day a week in the office. But as things stand, closing the border between Scotland and England would affect that just as much as sticking a border around the M25 would affect me, i.e. not at all because it's presently not possible anyway.

That's exactly my point. You can't physically close the Scottish border either - much of it can be crossed on foot in the middle of nowhere, there's dozens of roads across it, and much of it is unsigned and unfenced. Those supporting it are simply doing it for a power grab.

 

[adc82140]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, an attempt at a border closure=suspension of devolution.

 

[Bletchleyite]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, an attempt at a border closure=suspension of devolution.

Doubt it. Two reasons.

1. She's already done it (de-facto) by way of the travel restrictions which continued well beyond the original lockdown.
2. This would be tantamount to guaranteeing a Yes vote to independence.

 

[Journeyman]

Right now, I'm having lunch in a bar that has to shut from 6PM tomorrow. The staff have no idea what's going to happen to them.

Incredibly angry on their behalf.

 

[adc82140]

Doubt it. Two reasons.

1. She's already done it (de-facto) by way of the travel restrictions which continued well beyond the original lockdown.
2. This would be tantamount to guaranteeing a Yes vote to independence.

De facto is different though to setting up a physical border post.

In addition there could not be a independence vote if the Scottish Parliament was suspended, as there would be no one to organise it

 

[Bletchleyite]

In addition there could not be a independence vote if the Scottish Parliament was suspended, as there would be no one to organise it

The second it was unsuspended it would.

 

[Mag_seven]

OK folks its time for one final reminder - this thread is for discussion of the COVID restrictions announced in Scotland by the Scottish Government yesterday. It is not a thread to discuss Scottish Independence - there is a thread that exists for that which can be found here:

Scottish Independence

With talk of the future of the UK and Scotland’s role, I thought it best to debate this subject here. For example, should Scotland become independent then what? Do they keep the Pound Sterling as currency or do they move to the Euro as currency? What about funding for public services? How...

www.railforums.co.uk

Thanks again.

 

[Andyh82]

It looks like she’s got away with it again, the news agenda has quickly moved on as per usual

The media now more concerned about possible restrictions on the north effecting the hospitality industry there, but no mention of the actual restrictions effecting the industry in Scotland. No interviewing confused people on the street or publicans worried about their business for days on end