Trust never sleeps

Published: April 21, 2020, 12:52 p.m.

As lockdown continues, despite the growing murmurings from some quarters that it should end, the UK Parliament is set to amend its arcane procedures to allow remote working.

We ask if the way Westminster works is fit for purpose, and  the very nature of , what passes for, debate and governmental scrutiny, derived from public school and Oxbridge debating societies, has been shown for the sham it is during the crisis.

Lesley hones in on trust in the Conservative government,and the sheer hypocrisy of the likes of Jeremy Hunt, in creating a bankrupt and privatised, by stealth,English NHS, while ignoring the alarm bells rung by health and social care professionals during the Tories tenure in power. 

The focus is increasingly turning both on an exit strategy and how and what a return to "normality" will look like. Will it be business as usual with turbo charged austerity to pay off the "debt" or will lessons be learned as to how we can create a greener, fairer society?

A significant part of any exit strategy will be developing a system to cope with the ongoing fight against Covid 19. I had a look at how South Korea created a robust system of contact tracing and what resources the Scottish government needs to put in place to do this. We also ask if we would be prepared to accept the "invasion" of privacy, South Koreans have taken on board.

Lesley was at the centre of a bit of Twitter storm over her retweet of a Robert Peston piece on the use and staffing of the London Nightingale Hospital. She clarifies her position, for those. like George Foulkes, who decided pile in without reading the whole thread. 

There's also been a notable upsurge in articles, from journalists, both on the right and left of politics,making the case that the Covid 19 crisis has significantly diminished the case for Scottish independence.We beg to differ.

There's, as always,other stuff and nonsense, including a gratuitous advert for Ronseal, and a guest appearance by Harry Styles.