Still work to do to tackle virus

The outbreak of coronavirus at the Sitel call centre at Eurocentral should serve as a reminder to us all that this virus, while getting suppressed, has not gone away.

All of us, as individuals and employers, need to do all we can to ensure we follow the Scottish Government’s rules and guidance so that we can continue to stop the spread of Covid-19.

I want to thank NHS Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire Council and the Scottish Government for their handling of the outbreak.

If anyone locally has been affected, is looking for guidance or has any questions, as ever, please get in touch.

We are at a critical juncture as we try to tackle this virus, which is why I found it incredible that Boris Johnson chose to travel to Scotland on a political campaign trip this week. It’s not as if Mr Johnson has his problems to seek.

Like the questions about his handling of coronavirus; his mixed messages, slow public health response and letting Dominic Cummings away with flouting the lockdown rules.

Or the three million people across the UK who have been excluded from the various income support schemes linked to coronavirus.

Or the report on Russian interference in UK politics showing successive Tory governments effectively turned a blind eye.

I can understand his nervousness about Scotland. Polling is showing Nicola Sturgeon’s handling of the Covid-19 health crisis has been far better than Mr Johnson’s.

The SNP poll ratings are sitting at record levels and support for Scottish independence, now consistently above 50 per cent, has never been higher.

His visit just reminds us in Scotland that while we have been able to take our own decisions about the health response to coronavirus, we do not have the same control over the economic response.

Indeed, some of his decisions put our economic recovery at greater risk. For example, we know negotiations with the EU are gridlocked and Boris Johnson’s Brexit vision puts our economy at further risk.

So perhaps the Prime Minister should stick to the day job, instead of day tripping to Scotland and lecturing us about how important he is to our country.

People here expect their leaders to show what they are made of through their actions and good governance.

On Boris trying to politically link the pandemic to our need for the Union, I think most will be feeling the Prime Minister doth bluster too much.

Threat remains Mr Gray says the Covid-19 outbreak at the Sitel call centre should “serve as a reminder” that coronavirus “has not gone away”