The Halloween mass gatherings that police across Scotland have had to deal with over the weekend are nothing short of a disgrace.
Trying to intimidate police by setting off fireworks to stop the dispersal of a large crowd in Dundee and holding a rave near Glasgow are unacceptable acts in the middle of a serious pandemic.
People who attended these illegal parties will laugh off warnings about spreading Covid.
But those who obey the rules are rightly worried that these gatherings might bring a new spike in cases.
Coronavirus does not care about the age or status of its host, it simply wants a body to live in and move on from.
We are all vulnerable to Covid and its effects.
But those who flout the rules seem not to care about that.
They also don’t appear to be concerned that their actions make it much more likely that Scotland will follow England into a full lockdown.
The economic effects of more lockdowns, which are inevitable if the rules are broken, will be felt and paid for by all of us.
With Brexit set to hit our economy hard, a new and deep lockdown would be particularly ruinous.
And what’s more, any new lockdown would destroy any lingering hopes we all have of enjoying a proper family Christmas.
For now, the party has to be over – for all our sakes.
Mean spirits
“You’ll have had your dram” is the message drinks giant Diageo is sending out to its retired workforce.
Many of the firm’s former workers were part of a much-valued retirement association.
They enjoyed days out and social events, no doubt reminiscing about days spent working at Diageo’s many Scottish distilleries and bottling plants.
But the oldies have been told that they have had their last Christmas outing on the company – which is pulling the plug on the association.
Coronavirus restrictions are limiting everyone’s festive plans.
But the decision to end the firm’s retirement association seems particularly mean-spirited.
Despite coronavirus, the firm managed to make a £2.1billion profit in the last financial year.
A tiny fraction of that could have helped make life that bit better for people who gave a lifetime of service to the firm.
Work makes us who we are and shapes and defines our friendships for many years afterwards.
It is a shame that a company that brands itself and its products on sociability and community roots does not recognise that on its doorstep.
