stewartb
There have been newspaper articles in recent days implying that in a public health emergency such as we are facing now, the population of an independent Scotland would suffer because we would no longer be able to benefit from co-operation and sharing with our nearest neighbour.Of course this is simply fear-mongering by desperate Unionists – or by journalists who make a living out of pandering to desperate Unionists. We have shown previously on TUSC how Nordic countries co-operate as a matter of common practice on health, social care and range of other public policy areas.Today we learn of the prime ministers of two Commonwealth countries on OPPOSITE SIDES of world agreeing to co-operate in the context of the present emergency.Source:
We are told of a phone call between Johnson and the Australian PM: “The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Morrison also agreed on the need for international coordination as the crisis continues, particularly to ensure countries have access to the healthcare equipment and supplies they need to tackle the outbreak.”
Are we to believe pro-Unionist hacks that Westminster would refuse to adopt a co-operative attitude towards an indy Scotland, its nearest neighbour with whom it shares a land border? Of course the proposition that it would not – opting instead for (mutual) DIS-BENEFIT- is simply preposterous! Hopefully the Scottish public who rely only on the corporate media and the BBC for their information see through such nonsense for themselves.
Do England’s public services have resilience issues?We learn that the Westminster government is planning to follow the lead of the Scottish Government and introduce a ban on ‘mass events’.Source:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51882897
The Guardian online states: ‘UK set to ban mass gatherings – government source: In the UK, mass gatherings are set to be banned as part of the battle against coronavirus in a significant shift in the government’s position, the Press Association reports. A Whitehall source has told the news agency: Ministers are working with the chief scientific adviser and chief medical officer on our plan to stop various types of public event, including mass gatherings, beginning next week.”
So what has happened? When a similar intervention was raised last week by the Scottish Government the Prime Minister deemed it appropriate to make snide remarks about Scotland’s public services. His comments were (gleefully) reported by the Express and others:‘Boris Johnson takes BRUTAL swipe at Sturgeon’s NHS in emergency coronavirus announcement – BORIS JOHNSON couldn’t resist hitting out at Nicola Sturgeon’s plans to tackle the coronavirus in Scotland, as he emphasised “issues” of “resilience” for her health service.’ The Express reports him as saying: “.. in Scotland, they do have particular issues with the resilience of their public services.” (the emphasis is that of the Express)Source:
Given the anticipated u-turn in Westminster policy, will the Express – or any other journalist – ask the PM if there are ‘particular issues’ evident now with the resilience of England’s NHS or other public services?Or has Johnson’s government realised its error and now accepts the wisdom of the Scottish Government? The Scottish public who rely only on the corporate media and the BBC may never know.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
A bit rich for them to say an independent Scotland would be cutting itself off from cooperation with its nearest neighbour in this sort of health emergency when the Tory Gov has taken the UK out of the EU ageny/network that shares info on such infections.
And now this:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/14/coronavirus-vaccine-delays-brexit-ema-expensive
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Wow, that’s a powerful insight! Thanks for the link.
So if we in Scotland were able to follow the course voted for by a substantial majority of its citizens, namely still to be within the EU, the Scottish Government and our NHS would be much better placed, according to the experts quoted in this article, to protect the lives of the most vulnerable in our communities!
Now that’s when Scotland’s ‘democratic deficit’ really does bite down and hurt!
Will BBC Scotland or any of our pro-Union newspapers in Scotland repeat this news?
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Unlikely.
Then there is this – from one extreme to another
https://www.itv.com/news/2020-03-14/elderly-to-be-quarantined-for-four-months-in-wartime-style-mobilisation-to-combat-coronavirus/
Telling people over 70 they must stay indoors for months is likely to be as damaging to their health as the virus eg loss of muscle tone through lack of exercise which will impair their mobility, depression to name but two.
My husband and I are in that group and I have underlying health problems. We are pretty well self-isolating but still go out for walks but choose routes to avoid people or keep our distance if we meet anyone. Self isolation should not mean total incarceration which for many would be akin to solitary confinement.
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So we refuse to export £6 billion pounds worth of electricity, we refuse to utilise on their behalf the strategic reserve capacity for generating electricity, we turn of the oil and gas supply feeding 8 refineries in England and Wales, we certainly wouldnt be providing any access to our surplus food, Scotland grows enough wheat to feed itself 6 times over. I could go on, but by now you should have a pretty good idea of which country is more likely to suffer should it refuse to co operate with the other.
I’m not posting this as some kind of threat, just trying to highlight just how ridiculous these media claims are.
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And this – https://inews.co.uk/news/coronavirus-uk-police-powers-detain-suspected-covid-19-emergency-law-2450654
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