The Union is a force for good – together we will defeat this killer

THE past few weeks have shown the devastating impact of coronavirus and how rapidly it can spread. This is a global outbreak, so we have been working internationally, with governments across the world and bodies such as the World Health Organisation.

We know this is a shared challenge and that we can defeat this invisible killer only through a co-ordinated response. This applies to the United Kingdom, too. I believe passionately in our Union and its role as a force for good and the need for all parts of the UK to work together in the common interest.

We must all put party loyalties aside and join forces to slow the spread of coronavirus and boost our capacity to respond. That is why our devolved administrations are at the table during the regular Cobra meetings – meaning the decisions made reflect the views and perspectives of the whole UK. Alongside this, our medical experts have all been working together as part of a joint effort, to share information and expertise. This includes chief medical officers, as well as medical and nursing directors from all parts of the country.

There is a lot of work to do, but we are already seeing real progress in many areas.

Firstly, we have been working together to make sure our heroic health and care professionals have the equipment they need, so they can do their jobs with confidence.

Every Thursday, on streets, doorsteps and balconies up and down the UK, we see the esteem in which the whole nation holds our carers – the people who make the NHS and social care what it is.

Rest assured, we have been working with the devolved administrations every step of the way to protect the people who protect us. This includes a weekly, four nations oversight board to manage demand and supply.

Contrary to some misleading headlines you may have seen, this Government would never prioritise one part of the UK over another. We are all in this together.

There has been a Herculean effort north of the Border; as a Government, we have supplied Scotland with more than 11 million items of personal protective equipment (PPE).

It has been boosted by the support of our armed forces, as well as extra funding from the Treasury, so even more PPE arrives on the frontline.

Secondly, we are working together to ramp up our testing capacity.

I understand why people are yearning for the certainty that good quality testing can provide. To drive forward this work, I set out a fivepillar plan to meet the challenge of getting to 100,000 tests per day done by the end of this month.

This is to ensure testing is available for patients who need it and to expand testing of critical NHS staff and their families, followed by testing other frontline workers and then the community as a whole.

As part of this work, a drivethrough coronavirus testing facility opened at Edinburgh Airport last week, funded by the UK Government, for NHS staff and other key workers. This site joins testing centres at Glasgow and Aberdeen airports, as part of our mission to expand our testing capacity right across the UK.

Thirdly, I am thrilled that businesses in Scotland have been playing their part in the national effort to fight the virus.

Last week we launched a new vaccine taskforce, led by the Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, which will accelerate work to develop a jab for lasting protection against coronavirus. This includes 21 new research projects to combat Covid-19, such as those based at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Westminster and Holyrood have been working side-by-side, so people across the UK can get the care they need. However, this effort would mean nothing without the dedication displayed by so many people in Scotland who have been following the rules on social distancing.

All the indicators show that this measure has been working.

According to Transport Scotland, rail stations were 97 per cent less busy in March than in the same month last year. This exemplifies the commitment we have seen all across Scotland, which has had a huge impact on helping us to slow the spread of the virus and prevent our NHS from being overwhelmed.

So thank you and please keep showing your resolve. Because whatever your background, the most effective thing that each and every one of us can do this weekend, and in the days to come, is to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.