Grateful for what exactly?

Sir, – I keep hearing and reading we should be grateful for the very presence of Nicola Sturgeon, but nobody seems to be able to offer any good reason why.

A total of 2,490 people have lost their lives to this virus.

That is 0.05% of the population and our economy has been closed down.

Livelihoods lost, education abandoned and, crucially, medical treatment withheld.

We should be grateful for that?

Approximately 32,700

Scots are diagnosed with cancer every year and 16,200 die.

Cancer screening was reduced by 70% in April and remains 30% below normal levels four months later.

Cancer survival increases hugely with early diagnosis, but that opportunity has been withheld for thousands of Scots. Why should we be grateful for that?

We’re doing so much better than the evil Tories of Westminster, are we?

Scotland has tested 286,000 people, roughly 5% of our population.

England has tested 8,400,000 people, 15% of the population. Why

should Scots be grateful?

This virus poses no threat to children, yet schools remain shut.

This virus poses minimal threat to healthy people of working age, including teachers, yet businesses remain shut and many will not reopen.

This virus poses a more substantial threat to the elderly and unwell, yet the elderly were removed from hospitals and other medical services were reduced or suspended.

Face coverings pose a genuine threat to health if they are worn for a prolonged period and not regularly replaced or cleaned and stored in a sterile environment.

They offer minimal, if any, protection from this virus, yet we are now obliged to wear one.

Every step of the way, Sturgeon has made the same errors as Westminster, the only difference is timing.

Yet Westminster is to be damned and we should be grateful for Sturgeon.

Aye, right.

Hamish Hossick. 76H Strathern Road, Broughty Ferry.