Sturgeon must put country before party to allow us to f lourish

THE First Minister is accustomed to attacking the UK Government with impunity.

Nicola Sturgeon feels no compunction about characterising actions taken by the Prime Minister as malign and flawed.

More often than not, the UK Government keeps its counsel, perhaps fearing that to retaliate whenever she launches one of her broadsides would be to play into her hands.

But a consequence of this refusal to roll around in the mud with Ms Sturgeon is that the glaring flaws in her leadership often go unchallenged.

And so we are pleased to hear Scottish Secretary Alister Jack call out Ms Sturgeon, accusing her of politicising the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Jack, quite correctly, says the Union has been central to the fight against Covid.

The 800,000 Scots who have seen their incomes protected through the job furlough scheme or grants to the selfemployed have vital first-hand experience that speaks to that truth. Simply, it is thanks to the broad shoulders of the partnership of nations that makes up the UK that so many Scots have been able to support their families during this extraordinary time.

And so the voices of our representatives at Westminster have every right to be heard right now.

Mr Jack accuses Ms Sturgeon of using the pandemic to create yet another constitutional argument. His assessment of the First Minister’s handling of recent events is devastating. After she last week pondered, in public, the possibility of closing the Border between Scotland and England, Mr Jack blasts her as reckless.

And, while the SNP leader continues to drag her heels over agreeing to the air bridge routes proposed by the UK Government, he accuses her of penalising the Scottish tourism sector and denying families the chance of a summer holiday.

Many, we are certain, will agree completely with Mr Jack’s analysis. The Scottish Secretary is correct when he says that, when it comes to the serious matters of restarting the economy and protecting jobs, the four nations of this United Kingdom must work together for the greater good.

Surely, even Ms Sturgeon can see that this makes sense?

And no, working together does not mean the Scottish Government making ludicrous demands and then screaming ‘foul!’ when they are rejected.

It means putting the gameplaying on hold and engaging with the UK Government in good faith. We are optimistic the resilient British people will come through this pandemic and that life will, sooner rather than later, return to something resembling the normality we once took for granted.

However, nobody should underestimate the scale of the challenges ahead. It remains to be seen how many jobs will be sustainable once the present furlough scheme comes to an end, but many employers have raised concerns about the longterm viability of their firms.

Ms Sturgeon’s most loyal supporters may be content to hear her rage on about the need for independence in the months ahead. The majority of Scots would prefer to know she is working hard with UK Government Ministers to ensure the long-term negative impact of coronavirus is minimised.

Ms Sturgeon has impersonated a stateswoman while playing political games throughout this crisis. It’s time for her to put country before party.