Calls for Nicola Sturgeon to resign as First Minister in the past few days have been branded “Trump-like”.
The comparisons made between the former US president’s obsessive demands to “lock up” Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign and the current onslaught against the First Minister are not without foundation.
In recent weeks we have seen a level of partisanship that does not show Holyrood in a good light.
This is not the politics we should encourage or accept in Scotland.
The shameless politicking surrounding the entire affair between Alex Salmond and Sturgeon has damaged public trust in the Scottish Parliament.
All parties have had their low moments but the Scottish Tories deserve a special place in this hall of shame.
There are many important issues facing our Parliament but they won’t be solved by parties playing political games.
Calls for a vote of no confidence in Sturgeon and Swinney are a distraction. They have taken away valuable time from the real issues plaguing our country, such as the huge number of drug deaths and the too-wide attainment gap in education.
The inquiries should be allowed to run their course and come to their final conclusions before any talk of the First Minister’s position being untenable.
This current political bun fight has done a huge disservice both to Holyrood and the wider electorate.
Talk of a vote of no confidence at this stage is nothing short of sheer opportunism.
Travel in safety
If a traffic light system for foreign travel goes ahead, it must be rolled out with extreme caution and directed by science and not political expediency.
We can’t afford to make the same mistakes as last summer when Scots flew abroad then brought the virus back home. The vaccine roll-out has helped reduce cases and deaths in the UK but the jag alone won’t achieve the Scottish Government’s zero Covid goal.
Cases rose after border restrictions were lifted last year. The lure of the sun is strong after months in lockdown but the risks must be weighed up.
If cases and deaths rise and the NHS is placed under pressure again then it risks another national lockdown. Any system that allows international travel must prevent that happening.
It’s imperative that all governments of the UK work together to make sure any foreign travel is equally as safe for holidaymakers as it is for those who stayed at home.
