I NOTICE from a glance at the front pages of Scotland’s daily newspapers that the most virulently anti- Scottish Government publications – the Mail, the Express and The Herald – are urging the First Minister to follow England’s example and lift the vast majority of Covid restrictions in our country. Not only is this highly irresponsible and reprehensible but it also begs the question of just how much more the myth of a free press in the UK can be tolerated by those of us who are in favour of Scottish independence.
The imminent abandoning of Covid restrictions in England by a shamelessly populist government and Prime Minister owe more to political expediency than to “living with the virus” or arriving at a reasoned and practical decision. The fact that millions of vulnerable people, both in terms of health as well as wealth, will be adversely affected by his decision will matter not a jot to the Conservative leader, whose political survival is his only consideration. The fact that the BMA, educationalists, leading health charities and all of the devolved governments may be dubious or highly critical of Westminster’s decision will be of little or no consequence to the most morally, financially and politically corrupt leader in living memory, with only the notorious former Taoiseach of Ireland, Charles Haughey, giving him a run for his money in these islands.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon outlines new Scottish framework for dealing with Covid-19
The reckless commitment to cast aside safeguards to public health owes more to appeasing his right-wing libertarian backbenchers and hawkish Chancellor than to protecting the people’s health and wellbeing. The fact that some newspapers in Scotland are prepared to spread a message that disregards the public health and wellbeing of the people of Scotland speaks volumes of the priorities of press magnates who are institutionally right wing, traditionally pro-Conservative and openly hostile to the idea of an independent Scotland.
We are now faced with the emasculation of devolved administrations, who may be forced to accept their financial impotence in the face of Westminster’s callous and dangerous decision regarding public health. I’m afraid it’s no longer enough for Nicola and members of her party to be outraged at every turn by this reactionary UK Government. It’s time for something more tangible than words.
Owen Kelly
Stirling
POLL: Will you keep wearing a face mask even after the legal requirement ends?
WITH the restrictions to be lifted, would it not make sense to give, free of charge, high-grade clinical quality face masks to all those that are considered vulnerable? This could be done through doctors’ surgeries quite simply. It would allow society to open up gradually whilst still making efforts to protect those most vulnerable to the virus.
Walter Barrie
via email
MY reasoning, following the many varied conclusions reached in the Sarah Smith scenario, is that she should never even have been selected for interview let alone appointed as the BBC’s Scotland editor.
I do not hold any doubt as to her journalistic capability. But what I can say with certainty is that anyone in the selection panel with any savvy would have known that Sarah Smith has unavoidably too much political family baggage attached to her to take the risk she could be seen – justly or unjustly – as not politically without bias.
READ MORE: Pat Kane: A post-independence Scottish public media would be less prone to collapse than UK's
The proportion of MSPs from the different parties at Holyrood would have made it obvious what the spread of Scottish political thinking is. And that should have resulted in not selecting a person with a well known left-of-centre family background JUST IN CASE.
In my own judgement, her reports were often more telling in what she chose to leave out rather than what she included.
Margaret Little
Rhu, by Helensburgh
HOW is it that when independence supporters are ferocious in their response to someone’s insults and even provocation, we have the Unionist jumping up and down with glee and getting plenty of air time and media attention, with additional articles in the press by the like of Ruth Davidson fanning the flames?
Sarah Smith works for the BBC and they keep telling us they are neutral and balanced – so why did she have to apologise twice for lying about serious issues? One of them was when she said Alex Salmond said Nicola should resign – untrue. No-one could be in any doubt which side of the fence she is on as far as independence is concerned, and I believe her reporting showed this bias.
READ MORE: I don’t have much in common with those who abused Sarah Smith, says Nicola Sturgeon
And of course the BBC is being investigated by Ofcom over Ruth Davdison’s appearance on a radio programme – and there is the issue of the postal votes, which she stated were good even before anyone should have seen them.
The programme covering the Alex Salmond trial was probably one of the most biased pieces of television I have ever seen, with Sarah Smith, Kirsty Wark and Dani Garavelli sitting in a cafe before the verdict pulling Alex Salmond apart with glee. Their disappointment at the verdict was palpable.
There are many responses and tweets from the Unionist brigade which are every bit as bad and even worse than anything the nationalists say – but of course the press is not interested in any of that, and many of the SNP are just too nice to enter the fray.
Winifred McCartney
Paisley
APART from the matter of the planes flight for the day, the very sight of buffoon Johnson, in familiar scruffy playful pose, in the cockpit of a military aircraft is one which suggests war really is a game – perhaps as depicted in comics intended for an adolescent readership. The only serious issue regarding this pilot is that he is still allowed anywhere near the controls of the UK, far less sitting in the cockpit.
Tom Gray
Braco
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