What do posters outside Scotland think of our handling of the pandemic?

[ssd]

Genuine question, not bigging up ir putting down Scotland or anywhere else.
The news us just getting confusing and various threads on here add to it.
I'd just like to hear what non Scottish posters think about what's happening up here. The numbers are really low but we're still locked down more and of course have fewer citizens than England, and less congestion.
Thanks for any answers.

[Itisasecret]

I think initially Scotland handled it well. I think now Scotland is in real danger of a destroyed economy beyond any sense of recovery in this generation.

[Kirschcherry]

Well, I might be a bit biased as I am Scottish but I’m currently living in Wales. I’m mostly impressed with the way Scotland is handling it. I’m not a huge fan of Nicola Sturgeon but I think she has done a good job so far with Covid.

I think the Welsh assembly is also handling it pretty well, although the testing here has been a bit of a fiasco. I also think there is less trust and faith in the policies of the Welsh Government in Wales generally as there seems to be less appetite for devolution which seems to have led to a significant amount of people in Wales ignoring the Welsh rules.

All in all if you ask me where I’d rather be in the UK right now, I’d say Scotland (although that would also be my answer in normal times 😄)

[lousleftkneelies]

No better than the rest of the U.K.

Massive outbreak cover up in February.

Sparse population compared to England, not handled very well in more densely populated areas.

NS wanting to appear as if she was super woman has destroyed your economy and the Scottish people are about to feel it.

[Redolent]

I think Scotland were initially slow to act and made plenty of mistakes, but have been overall impressed with NS’s messaging. I completely agree with continuing to drive down infections over the summer, in preparation for the colder months.

Imo they’re a a good chance Scottish children will be back in schools in August while ones in England will be part-time in September, due to our rising post ‘independence day’ infection rates.

What is happening in the US right now should be a warning to all of us.

[ssd]

Interesting. Thanks.
Any more views are welcome.

[taraRoo]

I'm Scottish but live in London. I think Scotland has done better in terms of the clarity of advice and stronger enforcement (from what I'm told by my family). She also had a much more realistic attitude to schools.

I do think Nicola is sometimes uses it to score points though. Staggering her up dates to 'beat' Johnson was a bit childish. Also I think she should no just follow England out of lockdown. We can't visit our parents for another two weeks and I just can't see what the logic is other than just being different from England. The delay in opening up tourism is also shocking as so much money will be lost as people will go to places in England rather than Scotland. The economy relies on it so much.

[Babdoc]

Not really your target market, as I’m English but have lived in Scotland for over 40 years, but I have some perspective as an incomer.
Sturgeon is all about presentation and spin - she performs well in tv propaganda broadcasts, but her regional administration’s handling of the pandemic has been terrible.
Health is completely devolved, so the SNP bear sole responsibility for covering up the Nike outbreak in Edinburgh and failing to inform contacts, which led to the virus spreading to the NE of England, causing thousands of deaths, their discharging of hundreds of infected hospital patients to care homes, causing carnage among frail elderly residents, and their total hypocrisy in shouting for independence while demanding billions in bailout funds from England.
The stark truth is that Scotland has managed the pandemic poorly by comparison with many other countries, and would not have survived lockdown financially without UK support - for which Sturgeon has expressed no public gratitude, or admitted the folly of independence.

[TARSCOUT]

I am in Scotland and opened post to see what others were saying. I feel so supported that others are seeing the risks to our economy because I don't feel the majority of Scotland are. I am terrified of this more than CV.

[cologne4711]

I think Scotland and Wales did right to be more cautious about shop reopening etc but I am glad I am in England for the small groups up to 6, it has meant that ds has been able to to go back to athletics training and I've been able to run with friends and I think the risks of transmission by doing that have been minimal.

I think the messaging has been clearer in Scotland and Wales.

I did not understand the 5 mile thing though. I think some limit was needed for leisure travel (eg to avoid Bournemouth scenario) but 5 miles was a bit daft and is probably why a lot of people are ignoring the rules, especially near the English border.

[Rosehip10]

I fear for the Scottish economy - tourism being a major part. On top of the issues with the oil sector and (admittedly UK wide) retail sectors. I also think there will be less rest of UK and overseas students to Scottish universities, for several reasons, but made worse by Covid - scottish universities rely on such fees too.

[HoldMyLobster]

I was baffled that Scotland left it so late to lockdown - and that's speaking as someone whose family are healthcare workers in Scotland were very distressed by how slow the process was.

Seem to have done a good job since then. Be careful reopening.

[RebeccaPearson]

Do we still have a five mile restriction? I’m genuinely confused as to where the hell we are.

[Pootle40]

At the moment we do (I think....) think it's relaxed in a week

[SunbathingDragon]

Initially no different to the rest of the U.K. (so fairly badly dealt with) and now I think your economy will massively struggle to cope.

[worzelsnurzel123]

I’m in Scotland but English and lots of English relatives. Nicola spoke clearly and articulately at first telling us all to wash our hands and stay at home. She used smoke and mirrors tactics to make it appear she knew what she was doing and being proactive. Truth was she didn’t. English view is she’s a shambles and she’s fucked up the economy up here. Slow to lock down, too slow to release. She’s a one track minded politician who just wants independence. She creates division not unity. She totally fucked up the blended learning- pretending last minute that it had never been the plan .( once she actually took the time to realise she’d lose votes from swathes of working parents). Trust has gone now though. I know loads of people up here now who won’t vote for her anymore.

[CremeEggThief]

As an Irish person living in England, my perspective is that Scotland has handled it immensely better than England. As has Wales. As has Ireland. As has every country apart from the USA and Brazil.

[Bollss]

I think it's just one big fat political point. She's trying to create a gap between Scotland and England and she's doing just that. However when she asked for cash to enable her to do that, she's negated the whole point.

I think she's made a fool of herself to be honest. I would be incredibly frustrated living in Scotland right now.

The blended learning thing was a fucking joke.

[midgebabe]

I think the Scottish economy could recover much quicker than the uk if she achieves her aim of virtually no cases expect through import by the start of the next school year

[ThatDamnScientist]

English and think Scotland appears to have handled it well, you are now 3 consecutive days without any deaths? I'm not sure of your hospital admission numbers at present but definitely seem to be getting a handle on it.

[SwelteringInTheHeat]

Outside of what I think of NS otherwise, she has handled the press briefings better than England has. Her messages and instructions have been far more consistent and clear than those coming from Westminster.

Scotland does seem to be in a much better place at the moment with regards to deaths and cases than England, although of course England is much more densely populated.

[Dinosauratemydaffodils]

I'm in Scotland so not the target demographic but I'm slightly hopeful about the economy, certainly most of our local businesses are doing brilliantly and the company dh works for is recruiting because they have loads of work (IT).

I think the care homes in particular were handled badly, especially given what we know was happening in Spanish ones before we locked down here.

She totally fucked up the blended learning- pretending last minute that it had never been the plan .( once she actually took the time to realise she’d lose votes from swathes of working parents).

According to our council and school, it is absolutely the plan still. Ds will be going 2 days a week. No mention of full time in any information from the school.

[sashagabadon]

I don't mind NS. I don't have a string opinion either way but she does seem to just do things to be different from england. E.g the messaging stay safe rather than stay alert and calling the test and trace something v similar but slightlt different wording. Why bother?! That seems pointless to me but equally no big deal i guess.
I thought it was wuite cheeky to see the scottish finance minister expecting westminster to continue the furlough scheme for scotland when it will end for the rest of the uk. I think rishi pushed this back though.
Apart from that looks to me like same mistakes were made as england. Ppe, Carehomes spring to mind.
But i am sure there is plenty of good stuff too just that the media ignores the good stuff

[MoreW1ne]

She's a more composed public speaker than Boris and better at spinning lies. Other than that dont see any different.

Given the devolved power NS she hasn't really covered herself in glory. Missed opportunity in that sense as Scottish economy is going to be a lot slower to recover and little positives to offset from that.

[Whoknowswhocares]

NS has made a big deal of getting Scotland ‘free’ of the virus but at what cost? The longer she drags her feet on reopening, the more it looks like economic suicide. Which she presumably will expect the UK as a whole to finance.
Surely all that self congratulation will come to nothing once tourism is restarted and locals can travel more freely anyway? She doesn’t have control of the borders or air travel, so can’t see what she is achieving by prolonging lockdown.

[worzelsnurzel123]

I think this is it for her. Game over.