Uh oh. The Covid inquiry has been ticking along in the background for the last two years, and finally its first report has been published. A shock to no one, it transpires that neither the UK nor Scottish governments come out of it particularly well. It appears both were rather unprepared for a pandemic – and the damning review suggests they proceeded to respond to the ‘wrong’ one. How very interesting…
The findings reveal that former Dear Leader Nicola Sturgeon’s government ‘did not act with sufficient urgency’ – and when it did, it seems it responded ineffectually. The report noted that the officials tasked with planning for a pandemic did not meet for seven months in the year before to the outbreak. And furthermore, ‘there was no separate analysis for Scotland that adequately took into account specific factors that might particularly affect the population of Scotland.’ Good heavens.
The report also added that both the Scottish and UK governments had ‘prepared for the wrong pandemic’ – in treating it like a flu outbreak rather than the disease it was. It went on:
The significant risk of an influenza pandemic had long been considered, written about and planned for. However, that preparedness was inadequate for a global pandemic of the kind that struck.
Assigning blame has been complicated, not least because for all the Scottish government’s egregious errors (alongside those of its Westminster counterpart) pushed lockdown as the only viable response to Covid – rather than reserving it as an option of ‘last resort’, which the report says it always should have been.
It’s more bad news for Scotland’s failing nationalist government. John Swinney, whose notable contribution to the inquiry was revealing he had deleted his WhatsApp messages with Sturgeon, has vowed to ‘carefully consider’ the recommendations set out in the report. Mr S remembers Sturgeon’s lot being rather on their high horse about their handling of Covid. They can’t claim the high ground anymore…
Comments