I suppose you have to mishear what some politicians say if you need to write something, anything, today. Here’s what occasional Independence supporter, the Herald’s Iain Macwhirter, has to say today:
Ms Sturgeon’s speech received rave reviews from the former Chancellor George Osborne and the former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith. Mind you, I’m not entirely sure that they quite heard what she said. Mr Osborne urged Boris Johnson, as he returns to his desk tomorrow, to listen to her views on the “hard trade-offs” that the public must accept as we “plan to end the lockdown”. They seemed to be under the impression that the First Minister was envisaging an early end to Covid restrictions.
I don’t know about you but I didn’t hear anything about ‘indefinite house arrest’ and I doubt that Osborne or Smith heard ‘an early end to Covid restrictions.’
I feel sure Macwhirter has read the speech so he’s not forgetting but rather adapting for effect.
Here’s a key paragraph:
As I said yesterday, this publication is an attempt to have grown up conversation with the wider public in Scotland. We want to be really frank with you every step of the way about the complexities and uncertainties of the decision that lie ahead. We need to be clear now that lockdown remains essential for the reasons I mentioned a moment ago, and that even as we are able to start to ease some of these restrictions, we’re going to have to do so very carefully, very cautiously – probably very slowly and gradually. We’re going to have to take what I described this morning as baby steps in doing this. We’ve got to try to seek a new normal, because how we are living our lives right now has consequences and can’t go on forever, but we have to recognised the virus has not gone away, so there will be changes in how we live our lives that will be necessary for some time to come, until science in the form of treatments and a vaccine offer new solutions to us.
So, where’s the ‘early end‘ he thinks Osborne and Smith heard? Where’s the ‘indefinite lockdown?‘
Where’s the ‘timetable for normality?’ See the bit about things ‘can’t go on forever?’ Watch this space Iain. Be patient. Give her a chance?
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
I suppose if the lockdown goes on for ever,there won’t be too much for some journalists to write about.
Dear diary,what a day it hasn’t been.
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Just finished reading Mr MacWhirter’s article before I came on to this site. Silly, silly man. He gives ‘grumpy old man’s a bad name. No one is under house arrest and to characterise it as such is to reveal your true agenda. If people have stayed inside during this time it is because of an abundance of caution on their part and probably in recognition of their own frailty and vulnerability.
I also noted that he said ‘Scotland had stopped testing and contact tracing in March’ It was stopped by the UK Gov and, from some of the information that is now emerging, one of the reasons was likely to be the dodgy nature of the test they were using combined with an inability to produce enough test kits dodgy or otherwise to meet demand.
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I agree with all of this.Just to add, another reason for stopping testing was that the “herd immunity” strategy was still in effect.
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Macwhirter joined the “Boris Cult” when the Blond One became PM. Gone to the Dark Side, it would appear.
We should read his scribbling with that in mind.
You will note–not one word of criticism for the Westminster briefings–in fact he has written previously in praise of the direction of travel London has taken.
If Sturgeon had actually veered from the “primrose path” we have followed, Macwhirter would probably have joined the rag-tag-Brit Nat crew in criticising that as well..
Sometimes Scots just cannot win where our colonial media are concerned.
Scotland’s Press–Scotlands Shame!
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Thanks all for reading it!
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Really careless half cocked piece from McWhirter. He should pen an apology and a correction.
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MacWhirter the “occasional independence supporter “. Aye the occasions when he chooses to support independence are just after an election when his support won’t help the SNP.
He hasn’t chosen to support Independence for some time as support is to high for his liking
I remember many decades ago three Journalists on the BBC getting stuck right into Alex Salmond. Brian “Chin Chin “ Taylor was one MacWhirter was another.
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