TODAY I’m coming to you live from plague cabin, where my seven year old is trying to argue that I should stream FMQs on my laptop because she wants full control of the TV to watch Encanto … again.
We’re on day four of self-isolation after my daughter tested positive at the start of the week. Remarkably, despite her unwavering commitment to being cooried in, I’ve still not caught it.
It’s surely only a matter of time though...
Speaking of which, has anybody heard from Sue? One of the reasons I wasn’t too downhearted about being locked down for a week is because I assumed I would have Boris Johnson’s ejection from No 10 to keep me entertained.
No such luck.
Still, at least the Westminster lobby journalists have kept us all updated.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson's poll ratings hit a record low as partygate plays out
They told us that Sue Gray’s report into Downing St parties was due at the start of the week. Then the Met police remembered that a pretty important part of its job is to investigate crimes, and the lobby told us the report would potentially be delayed for months.
Then it was expected within hours, then possibly tomorrow, Tuesday, maybe before PMQs on Wednesday and today, as I write this, "sources" tell them it’s likely to be next week before we get a look at it. Glad we’ve cleared that up.
Over to FMQs, for what was an altogether more sober work meeting.
Douglas Ross asked the First Minister about maternity provision in rural Highlands and Islands communities.
He raised the personal experiences of pregnant women in these areas who have had to travel long distances, often in difficult and frightening circumstances, to access the care they needed.
Anas Sarwar led on challenges in the social care sector, citing a new Audit Scotland report which says that the pandemic has "exacerbated" existing problems and that the service is at "crisis point".
The First Minister said she welcomed the report, but she didn’t think it "tells us anything we weren’t already aware of."
"There is an urgent need for reform of our social care services and that is what we are taking forward through the proposals for the National Care Service.
"We are increasing investment in social care, we are increasing the pay of those who work in social care, because the recruitment and retention – and the valuing of the social care workforce – is an important part of what we need to do."
READ MORE: FMQs: Nicola Sturgeon responds to request to delay GRA reform
"The SNP has been in government for 15 years," replied Anas Sarwar. "There is nobody else to blame. A social care sector neglected before the pandemic, failed during the pandemic. A workforce ignored, overstretched and undervalued.
"Unpaid carers – predominantly women – carrying the burden of this government’s failures." He then called on the Scottish Government to "reward our frontline heroes with the pay increase they deserve".
In response, the First Minister said she couldn’t let the moment pass without reminding Anas Sarwar that, while the SNP have been in government for 15 years, for much of that time, Labour were in administration in Glasgow City Council "denying female workers equal pay to which they were entitled".
"It took an SNP administration in that council to deliver equal pay to women workers across Glasgow. So forgive me, Presiding Officer, if I’m not prepared to take lectures on that point from the leader of the Scottish Labour Party."
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