It pains me to say this ...she said in a faux sombre tone
The latest Covid update contained so little new information it was really just a date. Another one on which MSPs gathered to hear Nicola Sturgeon’s thoughts in respectful silence. Or at least MSPs others than Douglas Ross, who responded to the First Minister’s statement by asking a question. The gall of the man. The Scottish Tory leader proposed that mass vaccination centres reopen to get boosters into arms faster. he also cautioned the Scottish Government not to delay in informing businesses about any extension to the vaccine passports regime. The First Minister was open-minded on the first bit but spat tacks on the latter. If her address to parliament was about anything, it was about how anything could happen with the details of the certification policy, just not yet. It was ‘the strong view of the Scottish Government’ vaccine passports made ‘an important and proportionate contribution to stemming Covid transmission’.
She also noted other countries require them to enter cinemas, whereas in this country all that’s required is a second mortgage if you plan to visit the popcorn stand. There won’t be any definite decision until next Tuesday but ministers will ‘publish an evidence paper’ later this week about the practical considerations involved in making such a change. It sounded as though the decision had already been made and the coming week was going to be laying the groundwork. Ross charged: ‘The Government has delayed again, creating wholly avoidable uncertainty. Businesses are once again being left in the dark and treated as an afterthought.’ he urged the First Minister to ‘be clear to Scottish businesses and the jobs that depend on them’. ‘It pains me to say this,’ Sturgeon said, in a faux sombre tone that suggested she was enjoying every minute of it, ‘but the immaturity and irresponsibility of Douglas Ross in the face of this virus continues to be utterly breathtaking.’ She kept jabbing away at him: ‘I know he’s had other things on his mind in recent days but is he oblivious to what is currently happening across europe? That this virus is on the rise again and governments everywhere are once again having to grapple with the most difficult decisions?’
It was her most spirited performance since the last time she showed up at holyrood, whenever that was. The last Covid statement was delivered by John Swinney because Sturgeon was hanging out at Cop26.
Turning to his questions on vaccine passports and small business, Sturgeon scolded Ross it was ‘simply not an option’ for her or any other government ‘to do nothing in the face of the virus’. he remained impassive.
ANAS Sarwar observed that ‘the First Minister said lateral flow testing helped to reduce transmission at Cop26’, even though ‘she had been arguing the opposite in relation to the vaccination passport scheme’. It was a powerful point. If you can’t trust Sturgeon to be consistent in what she tells parliament, who can you trust?
Sarwar, who has been arguing from the start for lateral flow testing instead of passports, again pressed Sturgeon to give further thought to the practical case for including them in the process. She contended that, with the passport scheme partly aimed at increasing vaccine uptake, ‘it makes no sense to have an alternative to vaccination’ at first. however, ‘there comes a point at which our consideration must change’.
It wasn’t quite an admission she’s making this stuff up as she goes along but there was a hint at adopting Labour’s idea. She’ll still pass it off as her own, mind.