From How covid-19 spreads: narratives, counter narratives, and social dramas, published in the BMJ in 2022:
Public masking became a libertarian lightning rod. Libertarianism is a political ideology that favours individual choice, freedom, and a retreat from state and institutional control. Libertarians resist imposed rules and like to do their own research rather than trust scientists or government. Uncertainty and conflict about the value and place of public masking allowed libertarian messages and practices to flourish.
https://www.bmj.com/content/378/bmj-2022-069940
FM Nicola Sturgeon despite being caught once by gleeful hacks forgetting to put her mask back on, consistently encouraged their wearing.
PM Johnson repeatedly revealed libertarian values:
In September 2021:
Self-reported facemask wearing for those who have at least one non-home contact appears to have reduced below 70% in England, though this overall figure masks differences by age. Reported face-covering wearing has stabilised in the over 60s but continues to fall in younger age groups. The use of face-coverings has remained high in both Wales and Scotland (> 85% of participants), where use in certain social settings has remained mandatory.
https://cmmid.github.io/topics/covid19/reports/comix/Comix%20Weekly%20Report%2079.pdf
One year earlier, we could read:
From the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey by ScotCen Social Research, based on a sample of 2 790 adults, published today:
In 2019, 61% of people said they trusted the Scottish Government to work in Scotland’s best interests, compared with 15% who said they trusted the UK Government to do so.
Substantially more people thought the Scottish Parliament was giving Scotland a stronger voice in the UK (61%) than thought it was giving Scotland a weaker voice (5%). Similarly over half thought the Scottish Parliament was giving ordinary people more say in how Scotland is governed (56%) than thought it was giving them less say (6%).
Satisfaction with the NHs has increased from only 40% under Labour in 2005 to 65% in 2019
Click to access scottish-social-attitudes-2019-attitudes-government-political-engagement.pdf
Trust.
How many lives did following Sturgeon save? Compliance across all pandemic measures was higher in Scotland and the Covid death rate, in Scotland at 226.8 per 100K was much lower than that in England at 310.9 per 100K.
Remember that means 75 people per 100K, 4 050 in Scotland might have died or in England, 42 000 might have been saved if the two governments’ strategies were swapped.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
No doubt about it Nicola Sturgeon was a beacon of trust and light in the dim dark days of covid her daily Twitter updates were valued highly my the majority of people not just in Scotland.
Why has her hero status dissolved ? I would say it’s because she promised on so many occasions that another vote on Scottish independence would be done but then ten years later….NOTHING…then she resigns at short notice ?
WTH
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I think the truth is as she stated, that she was emotionally exhausted, and felt she had gone as far as she could with pursuing independence. I think her hero status has not ‘dissolved’, but that the gripes of disgruntled people like Kenny MacAskill, Angus MacNeill and others have been getting publicity by the media to the exclusion of other information.
If you have ever been involved in strike action or a campaign you will be aware that your nastiest enemies were on your own side. People from groups like the Socialist Workers Party were forever calling any action a ‘sell-out’ and always opposed any ballot of members.
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ALL INDY SUPPORTERS WOULD WELCOME INDEPENDENCE
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