Driving a wedge with Covid-19

Sir, – The Scottish and Welsh assemblies are easing lockdown much more slowly than is the case in England.

Both Nicola Sturgeon and her Welsh counterpart, Mark Drakeford, claim to be following the science.

With the World Health Organisation and many other scientists including many in Scotland stating that one metre distancing is safe, it would appear the Scottish and Welsh assemblies are choosing which advice to follow.

Every day in lockdown creates more economic damage, more companies won’t ever return, and more jobs will be irretrievably lost.

Wales performs significantly worse than the rest of the UK and Andrew Wilson, an economic adviser to Nicola Sturgeon and author of the Growth Commission’s report on the economic future of Scotland as an independent country, warned Scotland could be the worst performing country in the developed world after Covid-19.

It is hard to escape the conclusion that nationalist politicians are using Covid-19 as a way to drive a wedge between themselves and England.

Both have already demanded an extension to the furlough system in the knowledge that this will be rejected, giving them a grievance to blame Westminster for and to step up the clamour for independence.

Both economies are going to suffer very badly as a result of lockdown and the longer it goes on the worse it will get.

Both Drakeford and Sturgeon are playing a very dangerous game of Russian roulette with thousands of Scottish and Welsh businesses involving millions of jobs.

It is time for both to put politics on hold, try to behave in a statesmanlike manner and put their countries’ businesses, jobs and the economies before partisan ambitions. Donald Lewis. Beech Hill, Gifford. and not be an extra payment.

The amount has yet to be decided, although the maximum of three times the current level of benefits support would probably never happen.

The money that would be received would be spent, therefore going back into the tax system.

It would benefit the local economy too, and give unpaid carers recognition for what they do.

It’s all very well complaining about things when you have a secure job.

Many people are suffering right now, and it will take a long time to get back to ‘normal’.

CBI would give people the ability to buy the basics that we all need, especially at a time like this. It would not stop people from going out to work if it was set at a realistic rate.

Foodbanks would be a thing of the past, and about time too.

What a disgrace that they even have to exist in a rich country.

Why should things stay just as they are?

Mr and Mrs Wilkinson. Bridge of Cally, Perthshire.