PM’S ‘prohibition’ on independence debate as lockdown row looms
Boris Johnson has called for a “prohibition” on constitutional debate amid the coronavirus crisis after being challenged by the SNP over the Scottish Secretary’s call for Scotland to exit the lockdown “in lockstep” with the rest of the UK.
In an article in the Daily Mail on Tuesday, Alister Jack said a “simple, clear, united message” will be “much more effective”.
With Scotland believed to be further behind London and parts of England in the progress of the outbreak, Nicola Sturgeon has warned against a premature exit from lockdown.
At a press briefing yesterday, Ms Sturgeon said Scotland should not be “forced into a position where they’re lifting restrictions before the evidence says it is safe to do so”.
“We can have a four-nations approach that accepts there are some differences of pace based on evidence, or we can decide doing the same thing at the same time is what matters most - either of those is legitimate,” the First Minister said. “If it is the latter... We must go at the pace of the part of the UK that is furthest behind in the infection curve.”
Opposition parties at Westminster including the SNP will hold talks with Mr Johnson and ministers this afternoon as the government prepares a staged plan for easing social distancing, with the emphasis expected to be on getting people back to work without triggering what the Prime Minister said would be the “economic catastrophe” of a second spike in infections. At Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Johnson was asked by SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford if he agreed that “our approach should only be led by the best medical and scientific advice, not the politics of posturing”.
Mr Blackford said the Prime Minister’s speech expected on Sunday setting out the plan for exiting the lockdown should be “fully agreed to with the devolved nations”.
“Instead of working with the Scottish Government, the Scottish Secretary has been making political arguments about the constitution rather than scientific ones about saving lives, and he’s not the only one,” the SNP MP said.
“This is not the time for opportunistic politicking. This is the time when we all must work together to protect our NHS and to save lives.”
The Prime Minister replied: “We will do our level best to make sure that the outlines of this attract the widest possible consensus. I think that they can and ought to.
“And I’m delighted by his call for a prohibition on ‘political arguments about the constitution’.”