Vocal Voices

Sturgeon took a tactic of doing everything different from Westminster. Didn't matter what they were doing, Scotland had to do something else. Open the lockdown early, slower opening in Scotland.

Just one little fly in the ointment. If Scotland chooses to unlock later, then Scottish workers will be out of work without support. Because Furlough is a Westminster competence and they are not extending, they are getting back to work. So if Scotland wants to go it alone, then Scotland has to pay for the wages of the workers.

Live by contrary, die by contrary. Sturgeon has taken the approach that only Scotland can decide what Scots do in a Pandemic. Unfortunately she has to find the funds to do what she is doing.....

Not a happy camper.

Yes there are certainly some crazy anomalies emerging out there.

Catching a train from Glasgow to Preston? You can go maskless to the border just north of Carlisle, then you have to put your face covering on to comply with English regulations …… Which approach is right, which wrong? Nobody knows, but that's the current state of play.

It could be argued that Sturgeon has put Scotland in a good position. By being slightly behind England it can observe how the easing of lockdown is going in order to react.

If things are going pear shaped it is easier to go back to full lockdown from Phase 1 than it would be from Phase 2. Conversely, if all is going well the jump from Phase 1 to P2 or P3 could be speeded up easier.

Nicola has played a good game, so far.

I would agree, if it were not for the fact that she was going to go ahead of England if Westminster decided to delay, but the second Westminster decided to advance early, they did a full 180.

Now they are bleating about central funds. It's OK playing a good game when you have all the cards. When you don't it is a compromise and, it appears, Westminster is not going to fund reginal variations; should they want to hold back and fund workers to not work.

If England gets back to work and Scotland starts losing jobs, the demise of her "good game" could be timed with an egg timer.

I do not in any way, shape or form support the SNP.

However, I have watched the Scottish parliament on TV and Sturgeon answers questions. She is not always right, but sometimes she is, and when she is wrong she accepts it. Contrast her responses with those of our blond Bombshell.

She is light-years ahead compared to Mr Mop-Head when it comes to believability.

Absolutely, Frank. She is putting Scottish lives ahead of a party political agenda, which is more than can be said for Boris

Imo she gets a very easy ride from the media; a very easy ride indeed.

Nobody has, yet, questioned the sequence of events where it looked like England was not going to start unlocking until late June or early July. Sturgeon stated that if this was the case then the "special needs" of Scotland would mean unlocking earlier. When England suddenly started to unlock, Scotland turned 180 deg and stated that the Scotland "special case" meant that they would unlock later than England.

Apparently she is allowed to have it both ways. If this was the level of scrutiny for our PM, I'm sure bojo would not mind answering either.