Sturgeon -v- Salmond. This is going to be very interesting. Is the SNP finished? And what impact on the Scots regarding Indy2? ?

Fair do Lemongrove if you did watch all of the Salmond and Sturgeon sessions which were each 6 to 7 hours long. I didn’t have the stamina for that.

Galaxy

Do you manage the same organisation? Perhaps it's the field I work in but there are very good reasons why in every where I have worked there are very strict rules about married couples working together. Thst arrangement was always going to end in disaster.

No we don't. And I also have a problem with the principle of Sturgeon and Murrell, but I don't like it being attacked by the argument "well, I would have told my husband, so I don't believe anyone else who says they didn't".

Do you manage the same organisation? Perhaps it's the field I work in but there are very good reasons why in every where I have worked there are very strict rules about married couples working together. Thst arrangement was always going to end in disaster.

Nightsky2

She claims to have forgotten that Geoff Aberdein told her that Alex Salmond might be on the point of resigning “my recollection is not as vivid as I would like it to be” funny the things she couldn’t remember. She also claims not to have discussed it with her husband and if you believe that......

Both my spouse and I are are privy to personal details and problems of people we manage. We would never mention them, let alone discuss them.

Casdon

In all fairness Maybee70 the UK news briefings by Chris Whitty and Jonathan Van Tam have been superb, they contain much better information than any politician is qualified to deliver.

Is that Chris Whitty that didn’t comment on Cummingsgate? To be fair to JVT he did. But even he said that masks didn’t work at one stage when the evidence didn’t seem to back that up. And Whitty stopped testing and tracing last spring because there was so much community spread it was a waste of time. I have some respect for Chris Whitty but he doesn’t seem to go against what the PM wants him to say. I do, in general, respect what JVT says. But I found Sturgeon a good source of information on a regular basis. Not so much now but at one point I did listen to her every day.

Yes, personal preference Casdon. I prefer to hear the politician speak because too often I hear it reported in the news and think, "That's not what they said'! Each to their own ?

I don’t disagree that we need to hear from the politicians as well, but once a week from any of them is enough for me - I’ve learned to switch the TV on for the briefing after the politician bit, and only listen to the scientific bit. The questions are at the end anyway so I hear those. It’s personal preference I know.

I disagree Casdon . There are more things we need to understand about the pandemic and the government's response to it than just changes to lockdown. So we need the politicians to tell us what those things are and to answer journalists questions

If people don't want to watch, fair enough. And the BBC doesn't need to televise it, but they do. Presumably because there are still enough people interested in watching it.

I just think the politician presence is superfluous Alegrias1, unless there are changes to the lockdown arrangements the important details are best handled by the clinical experts. I thought Maybee’s comment overlooked the fact that they have been providing excellent content in the UK briefings. It was categorically not a comment on BJ v NS!

If you don't like the lunchtime briefings then don't watch them. I prefer my information without the press's gloss on it though so I will continue.

I haven't noticed Whitty and JVT doing many press briefings without a politician present. The Scottish briefing today had Jeane Freeman and Gregor Smith. There is usually at least one specialist at each Scottish briefing.

In all fairness Maybee70 the UK news briefings by Chris Whitty and Jonathan Van Tam have been superb, they contain much better information than any politician is qualified to deliver.

I watched all of the Alex Salmond ( in front of the committee)
And today all of Nicola Surgeon in the hot seat.

I don’t care for either of them and have no axe to grind......
Salmond came over very well and credible, Sturgeon just the opposite.
Salmond was clear and concise, Sturgeon rambled on and sought refuge in vagueness.You could have filled in Loch Ness
With all the things that she didn’t ‘know’ or ‘wasn’t aware of’ .
I thought she may try for tears at one point.
The committee were obviously angry at having being refused all the written info they needed to make a proper outcome.
Yes, Jackie Bailie was excellent ( I wouldn't want to mess with
her!)
I thought Sturgeons attitude to the committee bordered on arrogance.

She has given clear and concise information throughout the pandemic. Has answered all of the questions put to her. And has had someone signing. Has made the U.K. government look life amateurs. No wonder they’re out to get her.

The ordinary lunchtime and evening news contains all that needs to be said.
Try playing Sturgeon bingo while you listen to the waffle.

I'm not sick of the briefings either. I don't think either side come out of this mess covered in glory. But I have appreciated her clarity each day.

Aveline

People are pretty sick of her unnecessary daily briefings so some bright spark drew up this.

Not all of us are sick of her daily briefing and I'm not a Nicola Sturgeon supporter. As a shielder, I like to hear what's going on

I feel for those poor woman, who accused Alex Salmond. It took a lot of courage to report him, they have been forgotten in all this.

I’m not sick of them.

People are pretty sick of her unnecessary daily briefings so some bright spark drew up this.

Selective amnesia?

She claims to have forgotten that Geoff Aberdein told her that Alex Salmond might be on the point of resigning “my recollection is not as vivid as I would like it to be” funny the things she couldn’t remember. She also claims not to have discussed it with her husband and if you believe that......

This one sentence says what we need to hear,there wont be cronyism in the Scottish government like there is in WM

Have you listened to or read anything at all about the complaints made against the SNP?
Thought not. What a stupid remark.

SNP party membership rose by 10% this afternoon .We stand WITH Nicola but in the event she decides to resign and I really doubt that will happen the Independence movement will keep going until we get our country back .
This one sentence says what we need to hear,there wont be cronyism in the Scottish government like there is in WM

As First Minister, I refused to follow the age old pattern of allowing a powerful man to use his status and connections to get what he wants."

I don’t think we are much further forward in understanding Nicola Sturgeon ‘s part in all of this . She seemed to evade every difficult question in the bits I saw and she was definitely waffling on .. I can’t remember/ I can’t recall . She seemed to lose her powers of recollection when it suited her. . It is unsure what the outcome will be . @ Aveline ... agree with your opinion of Jackie Baillie !

Hard to be sure what the outcome will be. She's certainly been caught out a lot which isn't great. I gather that even now there are even more papers which have been withheld. Why?
This committee is looking at the failed judicial review. The Hamilton review is looking to see if she has broken the ministerial code.
If nothing else she has stamina facing these very testing probes. The pity of it is, is that it has to happen at all.
Jackie Baillie is a revelation. I wish we had someone like her as FM. Respect!

I think it depends what you mean by 99.9 varian? I’ve been watching this afternoon, and it seems that there is more to be uncovered yet. This situation can’t be helpful to the credibility of the party in terms of the floating voters, who have respected NS for her handling of the pandemic, but aren’t the core support for the party. The core support may well remain loyal, but that may not translate into the landslide victory and vote for independence that the SNP have been working so hard for, and whatever the outcome the reputations of the protagonists are both damaged. I’ve learned a lot, but still on the fence about the ultimate outcome.