PMs message

As someone living in a part of the country where the decisions about these things are clearly devolved I thought it was dreadful.
Boris showed total ignorance and insensitivity. He spoke as if what he said applied to the whole country, even showing a map with Aberdeen and Inverness highlighted. Which it did not.
In my opinion, telling people to return to work now is saying 'it's OK to go out and catch COVID-19 now; we have an empty bed in ITU for you'.
In 1919 there was a second wave of the Spanish flu pandemic after releasing lockdown too early. Another 3 weeks in lockdown might have reduced the number of cases significantly. In Scotland, we remain in lockdown for another 3 weeks. We will see what happens.

Well like it or not Boris is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Seems to me some people in Scotland have a big chip on their shoulders re England.

Just listen to the wee crankie Sturgeon then, problem solved. Personally when she pops up on screen I switch off.

Firecracker123, what an extremely unnecessarily rude comment.
I identify as English, not British but I like being part of the UK. If you don't understand the history between England and the devolved nations I suppose that explains why you take such an arrogant tone.
I respect the decisions of the devolved governments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In fact, I believe they made the right decision in staying with the simple message, stay safe, stay home.
Stay Alert, Control the Virus - what nonsense. No one can control the virus, we can only control the level to which we take risks and expose ourselves to it.

I agree Firecracker. Boris wasn’t laying in his bubble bath one evening concocting his 50 page report. He’s had many people advising him. At the end of the day, no one, other than the key workers we’ve already had, is being forced to go out. Boris has said IF you can safely......then do. Otherwise, stay in lockdown. No one is going to come round and drag you into the streets.

Boris may be PM of the United Kingdom unfortunately he apparently fails to understand that some things are the responsibility of devolved bodies and therefore he can't dictate what happens in Scotland Wales or N. Ireland. You would imagine he would know that wouldn't you? But apparently he doesn't.

I’m finding it so amusing that a Tory leader is being crucified for not following the StayHome mantras of the 3 devolved nations and yet a a Socialist in Wales is getting off scot free with going against t’others on the Mask Wearing directive!

So much political bias showing with so many pontificating on failings by ‘certain’ leaders - you lose the argument if you don’t apply it across the board folks!

Nobody can control the virus, but we can’t spend all year hiding from it either ( as a country) we must do what other countries are trying, to slowly, in stages get back to normality.
At each stage it will be evaluated.Staying home in lockdown was only ever to protect the hospitals being overwhelmed with cases.I think it’s right to go ahead this way in stages, carefully.
Johnson cannot compel the devolved administrations to stay in step with England ,and there would be an outcry if he did.
The countries are all different in any case.

Like it or not, wee Nicola is the First Minister of a devolved Scotland. You can switch her off when she appears on your screen, but you can't remove her from her position as leader until the next election.

A bumptious wee wifie is just the ticket to counteract Boris. Give credit where it is due - and don't be put off by the accent. If a man's a man for a' that, whatever his origin, then a wee wumman who can think for herself and cares about people's welfare is worth two men.

And I speak as one who has voted against Independence once, and will do so again.

Elegran I so agree. I just wish they could move the border south a bit!

What are Nicola Sturgeons Covid testing figures, I have read that Scottish Care Homes have a huge problem with Covid deaths?

Wales has a Labour Parliament, their testing figures are abominable as is the Health Service.

Northern Ireland didn't have an administration for months and months.

We have a PM with an eighty seat majority, the haters will always find fault. It is extremely easy to spout off in opposition, much harder to step up to the plate and govern in a time of economic and pandemic crisis.

The testing figures are as available as any others, and the carehome problems are just the same as in any other part of the UK.

Yes, it is much harder to govern in a time of emergency, harder than Boris Johnson imagined when he decided to further his political career by backing the Brexit cause.

He kens noo.

Firecracker if you are switching her off immediately how can you form an opinion? I thought what you said was really rude and unpleasant and I suspect based purely on some prejudice based on her accent.
I said this yesterday but I happened to watch her being interviewed by piers and Susannah who were desperately trying to get her to criticise Boris and she did not ! Dignified and classy.

Boris did not even mention his plans to the devolved governments, before leaking snippets to the press.

He should have had sensible discussions with them, and come to an agreement on arrangements for each part of the UK.
He should then have made clear, in his speech, that he was announcing changes for England only.

Of course he didn't want to do that. He hoped to bulldoze the other administrations into following him by not consulting them at all, by drip-feeding comments from minor Tories about how we should all march along together and by creating misunderstandings among the public.

What a limp specimen as a leader.

www.travellingtabby.com/scotland-coronavirus-tracker/

This website has many statistics on covid in Scotland, if anyone wishes to inform themselves.

Quite right FarNorth.

Firecracker123, if I remember correctly, you have made snide remarks about Scotland and our government before. How does it affect you, I wonder? The NHS in Scotland (just like our legal and education systems) has always been separate from that south of the border. If you listen to the 5 o'clock Downing Street briefings, you will be aware that they are concerned with NHS England and Public Health England, and so the rest of us need our own briefings so that we can know what is happening around us.

As far as Scotland is concerned (I'm not sure - sorry - about Wales and Northern Ireland) we are behind at least some of England in the progress of the virus, and so staying locked down makes sense for us.

I have noticed that for many people south of the border, a Scottish accent is only associated with Scots entertainers - who, of course, exaggerate for effect. The Krankies are were one of those comic acts, and earlier in Nicola Sturgeon's political career there was a take-off of her that copied the Krankies. That has stuck!

Jane Godley's voice-overs to videos of Scottish coronavirus briefings carry on the joke of Ms Sturgeon as a stair-heid wifie, but they are not cruel. In fact, Jane gets over the basic Scottish message very clearly in terms that can be understood by all, even better than "wee Nicola's" own speech.

Other briefers could take lessons. I am not sure which regional accent would take it home to all English viewers in place of cut-glass Etonian. Any suggestions?

It’s nonsense to imply that anyone who can’t stand Sturgeon does so because of the Scottish accent!

I’m afraid it’s all down to the way ( attitude) that she speaks,
A bit ‘stitch that Jimmy’ ! That and the never ending hostility to all things English of course.She has the misfortune to look very like Jeannette Krankie in her schoolboy persona on tv.?

Elegran, your comment that for many people south of the border, Scottish accents are associated with comedians who exaggerate for effect, could be made for many of us live slightly south of the border. Northern accents from the counties along that border are often treated as jokes, or with the suggestion that people who use their local accent, just aren't as bright as those who speak Etonian

*Yes, I later corrected myself on that.
I wrongly thought that BJ was talking about whole families not just those in one place.*

You did, yes.

My point remains, it wasn’t clear, Even to those insisting that it was

I’ve just been told that the bus from the next village was packed with people going back to work this morning. He said in his speech that public transport would be made safe. It hasn’t been. Then again he covered himself by saying ‘only if you can do so safely’. So it’s their fault if they catch the virus. And masks should have been made mandatory on public transport. As Prof Alice Roberts tweeted ‘good luck, herd’.

Public transport can never be made safe, with the best will in the world.
If I was using it I would wear a mask, or at the least a scarf covering mouth/nose ( for the protection of others.)
If you have to use a bus/train to go to work, that’s the best thing to do ( and wash hands the minute you get to work.)

lemongrove, I don't know about you but I don't have to use public transport for any reason currently. People who were told on Sunday to return to work but avoid public transport are left with little choice. It's easy for Mr J to say that employers will be understanding but there's a real fear that people will lose their jobs if they don't return to work.

Wearing a mask and washing your hands the minute you get to work isn't as safe as staying at home. I can't recall the figures, but bus drivers are amongst the group most affected by Covid.

I do understand the pressures on businesses, on the economy but why on earth was the message was return to work tomorrow, then whoops no, I meant on Wednesday . Why not give businesses and employees time to put some plans in place. I'd be much happier if we were following stay safe, stay home than stay alert control the virus. As if anyone can control this virus other than by avoiding it

I’m afraid it’s all down to the way (attitude) that she speaks, A bit ‘stitch that Jimmy’!

I think your attitude, lemongrove, to the way that NS speaks, does show bias against her accent.

To me, she always sounds measured, considered and well informed.

What FarNorth said (again).

Bus/train seats were supposed to be sealed off so people couldn't sit next to someone else. Masks should be made mandatory on public transport and they should be made freely available for people that don't have one. In some countries when you visit a supermarket you have to stick to social distancing, hand sanitiser is squirted on your hand as you enter; people disinfect each trolley after use etc etc. This is being done in poorer countries I believe so I don't understand why it can't be done here. I think temperatures are taken also. My son tells me that the company he works for has people thoroughly cleaning toilets after each us [another way the virus is transmitted but rarely mentioned; enclosed space etc etc ]. There is far more that can be done in this country. And lockdown should not have been loosened until people were using apps and we had contact tracing in place. This government is using people as guinea pigs and they'll be using children and teachers too soon; unless the unions get involved which I think they are doing.