At least this will save us all some money on Halloween
TV’S Nicola Sturgeon was back on our screens yesterday after a six-day absence. I hope you enjoyed the break; it’s the only summer holiday you’ll be getting this year.
Between the First Minister’s statement and the follow-up Q&A with hacks, this week’s episode ran to an hour and five minutes. The best that can be said for it is at least ITV wasn’t providing a commentary track.
These televised endurance tests are exacting even when there’s some news to announce, but when there’s nothing new they become a tooth-pulling exercise in which reporters strive to yank a line out of the First Minister and she stubbornly refuses to budge.
In these circumstances, there is no reason for Sturgeon to be there, other than her need to be seen to be doing something.
But this time, amid the simpering verbiage and inane mugging for the cameras, the faintest hint of a story could be made out.
SHE referred to July 19, the date on which Scotland is supposed to move to Level 0, as an ‘indicative date’ and noted the Scottish Cabinet would have to take a final decision on Tuesday.
Now, the Scottish Cabinet taking any decision – as opposed to nodding through whatever Sturgeon tells them – would be a story in itself, but the terms in which she spoke sounded a lot like softening-up language.
This prompted the Tories to complain she was hastily devising a ‘Level 0.5’. I’m still trying to get the hang of Windows 2.0.
The First Minister said it was ‘likely’ we’d be required to keep wearing masks on public transport and in shops beyond even the secondary deadline of August 9, and for some time after that. At least it’ll save some money come Halloween. It would be nice to get back to normal, or at least to a point where you no longer have to kit out like a thoracic surgeon en route to the operating theatre every time you pop into Tesco.
It shows how much the world has changed in the past 16 months. Back then, if you went into a newsagent wearing a mask, they’d call the police. Now they call the police if you go in without one.
Sturgeon said ‘the recent surge in cases may be to some extent levelling off now’ but went on to stress ‘a move to Level 0 doesn’t mean the immediate end of all restrictions’. Masks and social distancing were going to be part of our lives ‘for some time yet’.
The most eye-popping part of the briefing came in the final question from an online TV channel which calls itself ‘Broadcasting Scotland’.
This was the merciless interrogation in full: ‘Going by recent media coverage, you could be excused for thinking the Scottish Government has completely failed in their handling of the Covid crisis. However, given the current increasing numbers are starting to plateau, do you think the criticism of the work done by you and your colleagues is entirely fair?’
IDON’T think Woodward and Bernstein have anything to worry about. To her credit, Sturgeon replied: ‘Human nature means you never think criticisms of you are entirely fair all the time but it comes with the territory’, adding it was ‘right and proper’ the Scottish Government be ‘scrutinised’ and ‘criticised’.
There was a pinkish flush to Sturgeon’s complexion that was probably embarrassment.
It’s not every day you come face to face with your personality cult.