Nicola Sturgeon won’t look back on this week and think it was one of her finest.
Fresh from scaling back plans to give families flexibility over Christmas, she also signalled that Level Four Covid restrictions may have to be tightened.
A photograph then emerged of her breaking her own rules by failing to wear a face mask in a bar.
Sturgeon, who is the face of the public messaging on Covid, rightly apologised. However, no one could accuse the First Minister of not being available for key meetings during the crisis.
She has fronted dozens of press conferences, fielded countless questions from journalists and put herself in front of MSPs time and again. Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tory leader, could learn a lesson or two.
As we reveal today, Ross missed an important Covid briefing on Saturday because he was at a football match working as a linesman.
His second job meant he did notpick up the message until half time and was unable to take part in the conference call.
It is clear that Ross’s second job is an impediment to his important role as effectively the leader of the opposition in Scotland. Had he not been running the line, he would have likely picked up the message and been able to participate in the call.
It is also not the first time Ross’s second job has landed him in trouble. He had to apologise after he missed a VJ Day event in his constituency for a Kilmarnock match.
His outside work is a massive hostage to fortune and he needs to give it up. Or is he, like most Tories, only really concerned with his own needs and to hell with everybody else?
