New strongarm measures to keep us home would backfire We are in danger of being a police state

YOU have reported the First Minister is considering changing the law to force people to stay at home in anticipation of another wave of the virus (“Scots face breaking the law if they fail to stay at home”, The Herald, December 23). This would be a grave mistake: the law is not just words on sheets of paper that can make a government feel better about itself; it is a serious matter.

Humza Yousaf, in defending Nicola Sturgeon’s breach of the law mandating indoor mask-wearing, said he suspected “most of us” had broken the coronavirus regulations this year (Mr Yousaf can speak for himself). But if, indeed, this is the case, then these regulations should not have been written into law – especially without even a vote in parliament under the Government’s emergency powers.

Ms Sturgeon’s Government has made its authoritarian bed and now it must lie in it: the law is the law and I expect a penalty notice of £60 to be posted through her door by the police.

If the Government wants to avoid such ineffective measures and such a humiliating outcome again, I suggest it advises the public to stay at home instead of mandating it.

John Boyd, Perth.

IT would appear Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government now feel they can never bring in stricter pandemic rules without the threat of making them punishable by law.

Perhaps now is a good time to remind our leaders that countries that do not trust their citizens to follow rules, and use the law to frighten them into submission, are usually referred to as police states.

Scotland cannot quite be described under that heading – yet. But, slowly and surely, we are in danger of getting there.

Dave Henderson, Glasgow, G12.