Sturgeon hits Davidson with hairdryer blast
NICOLA Sturgeon has blasted “disgraceful” claims a Government adviser was given a row for backing the return of schools full time.
She criticised ex-Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson for alleging Professor Devi Sridhar had received the “hairdryer treatment”.
And in a counter-dig at Davidson, Sturgeon suggested Sridhar had more integrity in her “wee finger” than the Tory MSP.
The First Minister has said schools will reopen on August 11 but it will likely be on the Government’s part-time “blended learning” basis.
However, some parents are worried home schooling will stop them from going back to work, as well as damaging their children’s education.
Professor Sridhar, a public health specialist at Edinburgh University, is a member of the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 advisory group and supported full-time schooling from August on social media.
She wrote: “If Covid-19 numbers can be brought low enough in Scotland by August 11 (under 20 confirmed cases) & with appropriate ‘test and protect’ policies, my personal view is that schools should re-open as normally as possible (kids back full-time & able to play/interact
BY PAUL HUTCHEON together).” After the comments attracted attention, the Professor then wrote: “Nicola Sturgeon & I are completely aligned & I support her cautious approach to easing lockdown & re-opening schools.
“She has kids’ (& teachers’, parents’) best interest in mind so better to go slowly, track virus closely & make decisions in a reasoned & data-driven way.”
Davidson then suggested Sridhar had been reigned in by the Government, writing: “Guess someone got the hairdryer treatment over the phone .... ”
But Sturgeon hit back: “Untrue...but more importantly, utterly disgraceful to suggest that a highly respected expert (who I suspect has more integrity in her wee finger than *some* have overall) would be susceptible to that.”
Asked if anyone in the Scottish Government called her after her tweet, Sridhar replied: “No...I expressed my personal opinion.”
Former First Minister Jack McConnell, a critic of the parttime schooling plan, welcomed Sridhar’s intervention.
He said: “Good to see @ devisridhar come out in favour of safe full time school opening. It is surely time now for the Scottish Education Secretary and Councils to rethink, mobilise and deliver.”