GIVE US ALL A BREAK, NICOLA

UK Minister’s devastating attack on Sturgeon for ‘politicising’ Covid-19... and denying Scots a sunshine holiday

NICOLA Sturgeon was at the centre of a major constitutional storm last night after the Scottish Secretary accused her of letting Scots down on holiday plans and the economy by ‘politicising’ the Covid crisis.

In an astonishing attack on the

First Minister, Alister Jack said: ‘Nicola Sturgeon is stopping hard-working families from getting the summer holiday they are desperate for.’

He also accused her of ‘penalising our struggling hospitality, tourism and airline industries’.

Days after Scots holidaymakers were left grounded by cross-border rows over air travel, Mr Jack said: ‘I urge the devolved administration in Scotland to put politics aside

and work with us on saving jobs and getting back to economic growth.’

His strongly worded attack will put further strain on the relationship between Westminster and Holyrood over Boris Johnson’s plans to create ‘air bridges’ – which will allow people in England to fly to foreign destinations that have been approved for quarantine-free travel.

Ms Sturgeon has refused to reveal which countries Scots could fly to under similar regulations and described the UK Government’s plans as ‘shambolic’.

Writing exclusively in The Scottish Mail on Sunday, Mr Jack has hailed the Union as ‘central’ to the UK’s fight against coronavirus, which he acknowledged was a ‘huge national challenge, the likes of which our generation has never seen before’.

But he accused the First Minister of making the crisis – which has killed more than half a million people globally, and more than 4,000 in Scotland – a political matter.

Mr Jack criticised the Scottish Government for trying ‘to turn the pandemic into yet another constitutional argument’ and slapped down the First Minister’s ‘reckless’ musings about closing the Border

‘Act decisively to prevent irreversible damage’

between England and Scotland in a bid to suppress the killer virus.

He said: ‘Talk of closing the Border is putting off much-needed visitors from the rest of the UK.

‘And refusing to lift quarantine for lower-risk international visitors is doing further harm.’

Last week, the First Minister caused outrage by refusing to rule out quarantine measures for people arriving from England and was accused of trying to ‘drive a wedge’ between the two countries.

Mr Jack said: ‘Encouraging talk about “closing borders” is frankly reckless, and is the sort of politics we can well do without.’

He offered assurance that there would be no hard border between England and Scotland, adding: ‘Boris Johnson has also been clear, the UK Government will never allow there to be [a hard border] within the United Kingdom.’

Mr Jack said Ms Sturgeon’s decision not to follow the UK’s lead on ‘air bridges’ was ‘disappointing’, and called for an end to political posturing. He urged Ms Sturgeon to work together with the rest of the UK to get the economy back on track.

On Friday, English sunseekers were cleared for take-off after the UK Government set out a list of foreign destinations approved for quarantine-free travel.

From July 10, people will be able to travel from England to countries including France, Spain, Germany and Italy without having to quarantine on their return. Many other popular holiday destinations are included on a full list of 59 countries, including Croatia and Turkey, but not countries deemed high-risk such as Portugal and the US.

But Scots holidaymakers have been left in the lurch, as Ms Sturgeon has refused to say which countries they can fly to without having to isolate for 14 days on return.

The rules stipulate that even if a Scot travels to and from an English airport – but their final destination on their return is Scotland – they will have to self-isolate upon arrival, or face a fine of up to £480.

Referring to the new air bridge rules, the First Minister accused UK Ministers of giving officials north of the Border ‘little or no’ notice over key changes to the plans.

Ms Sturgeon is due to set out her own proposals in the coming days, which may include a smaller list of quarantine-exempt countries.

Last night, the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association, which represents Scotland’s travel sector, called for urgent decisions to be made.

President Joanne Dooey, said: ‘Scotland’s aviation sector is at serious risk. Scotland needs its aviation sector and the Scottish Government needs to act decisively to prevent irreversible long-term damage to the Scottish economy.’

Devolved administrations in Northern Ireland and Wales have also refused to take on the UK Government’s air bridge proposals.

Mr Jack has now called for greater cohesion of the four nations and said that amid the Covid pandemic, the UK had so far ‘achieved, together, a great deal’.

The Scottish Government declined to comment on his claims Ms Sturgeon politicised the Covid crisis.

But Nationalist MP Tommy Sheppard said: ‘It’s the Tories who have been caught out trying to politicise this crisis, with Jackson Carlaw speculating about the pandemic’s effect on his party’s prospects for the Holyrood elections, and Matt Hancock and the deputy chairman promoting the Tory party exploiting it for their constitutional ends.’

IT IS more than 100 days since people across the UK began to put up with restrictions on their freedom to help tackle coronavirus. It feels like a really long time and I know many families have experienced terrible losses over the past weeks.

I am incredibly grateful to everyone across Scotland who has played their part and to our NHS and care staff for their unstinting hard work and dedication.

We have a way to go but it feels like we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Coronavirus has been a huge national challenge, the likes of which our generation has never seen before.

But we have faced it together, working together as one United Kingdom. This crisis has shown us, more than ever, the value of our strong and enduring Union.

Our Union has been central to the significant progress we have made on tackling coronavirus.

The might of the UK’s Treasury has supported close to 800,000 jobs in Scotland, and a raft of measures are helping businesses across the UK. This is in addition to the £3.8 billion in extra funding which has gone to the devolved administration in Scotland to fund the NHS and other public services.

The UK’s armed forces have also supported the planning and delivery of health services right across Scotland, including airlifting critically ill patients from some of our most remote island communities.

The UK Government has hugely expanded testing capacity in Scotland, has helped the Scottish Government procure millions of pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep our frontline workers safe, and is paying for cutting edge research into retrovirals and vaccines.

Unfortunately, however, some have tried to turn the pandemic into yet another constitutional argument. Encouraging talk about ‘closing borders’ is frankly reckless, and is the sort of politics we can well do without.

As the Prime Minister made clear last week, there is no hard border between England and Scotland. And, as Boris Johnson has also made clear, the UK Government will never allow there to be one within the United Kingdom.

We are one United Kingdom and the reality is that we have tackled this pandemic effectively as one United Kingdom.

DESPITE some minor variations on timing, the different parts of the UK have acted largely in unison. I very much welcome that. Working together, all parts of the UK have achieved a huge amount. We should be very proud of what we have done together. From time to time Health Ministers across the UK will need to impose special restrictions on particular areas to control infection. Those areas must be defined by the location of the infection, not by administrative boundaries or political convenience.

We need to continue to be vigilant to keep the virus suppressed, but we will also continue to work together to get our economy back on its feet.

The Chancellor will make a summer economic update this week, outlining the next stage to secure Britain’s recovery.

But Holyrood needs to play its part too. The First Minister needs to allow Scotland’s great businesses to get going again.

Nowhere is that more urgent than in relation to Scotland’s vital tourism industry.

Talk of closing the Border is putting off much-needed visitors from the rest of the UK. And refusing to lift quarantine for lower risk international visitors is doing further harm.

Last week, the UK Government published a list of countries from which passengers arriving in England will be exempt from the requirement to self-isolate.

This is a cautious opening up, based on advice from the Joint Biosecurity Centre.

Public health remains our utmost priority, and we will not hesitate to remove countries and territories from the list if the health risks are seen to increase.

These careful changes will be a vital lifeline for England-based travel operators and those whose jobs rely on the travel industry. But, sadly, that will not be the case in Scotland.

The First Minister has so far refused to adopt similar measures. This is hugely disappointing.

SHE is stopping lower risk international visitors coming to Scotland. She is penalising our struggling hospitality, tourism and airline industries. Indeed, one Scottish airport boss this week said that anything other than a UK approach was ‘going to put further jobs and livelihoods at risk’.

Nicola Sturgeon is also stopping hard-working Scottish families from getting the summer holiday they are so desperate for.

After months of isolation and sacrifice, many families are hoping for the normality of a bit of summer sun.

We have all achieved, together, a great deal.

We must continue to be alert to the virus, but we must also make sure that we safeguard businesses, jobs and livelihoods.

I look forward to the Chancellor setting out his summer economic update this week, and I urge the devolved administration in Scotland to put politics aside and work with us on saving jobs and getting back to economic growth.

We need to work together constructively for the greater good of the four nations of the United Kingdom.