Embrace change in an era after coronavirus
I’d like to start this column by thanking every one of my constituents who has been adhering to the lockdown measures.
It hasn’t been easy, but by sticking to the rules, they have undoubtedly slowed the spread of the coronavirus and saved lives.
The chaos and confusion that accompanied the unveiling of the new Stay Alert message in England demonstrates why we need to be extremely cautious when the time comes to start lifting lockdown restrictions in Scotland.
In briefing the changes, Boris Johnson dropped mixed messages to the media before publishing full guidance to the public and offering MPs the opportunity to scrutinise the details. These actions fall well short of the kind of transparency we all expect from our leaders at this critical time.
What we need is unambiguous information about what we are expecting people to do. For now, that means sticking with the Stay at Home message in Scotland, reflecting the different position that we are in with the spread of coronavirus here.
When we are able to start easing lockdown restrictions, we must learn from the innovations we have had to bring in.
Westminster has managed to set up a robust system enabling MPs to take part in proceedings remotely, including electronic voting, which is secure and efficient.
I hope it will end the wasteful practice of queueing in a corridor to vote. I want electronic voting to be retained, offering MPs more opportunities to raise constituents’ concerns and hold the UK Government to account.
It is disappointing that the Tories want to brush these innovations, which drag the outdated and dysfunctional Westminster system kicking and screaming into the 21st century, under the carpet.
Ongoing social distancing measures here mean we must rethink how we support individuals and businesses.
I will be visiting small businesses across my constituency, once it is safe for them to reopen, as they need help to recover from this crisis.
Rates reliefs and the Scottish Government’s Small Business Support Grants are a vital lifeline for local businesses, but they will need us to make considered decisions about how and where we shop once restrictions start to lift.
Rebalancing the economy towards improving our quality of life must be our priority, if we are to give people the confidence to face a world changed by coronavirus.