To think Scotland’s CMO has caused irreversible damage?

[googlepoodle]

It’s not just that she has broken the rules - that is bad enough. But as a medic she must have thought there was a very low risk in moving between houses and therefore gives permission for everyone to think less of the restrictions and evaluate the risk and carry on. I honestly think she has set the whole of the country back and has caused immense damage.
She doesn’t think going out is risky. That’s the bottom line.

I think it shows that driving 44 miles with the people you live with and walking your dog's with those people is fine , clearly neither her husband or her kids thought to question it either

Surprised the police called on her , I can only guess they felt they had to when the Scottish sun had got the story

I agree that what she did was reprehensible for all the reasons given but I'm not a fan of sacking people for one mistake.

This is a not a time for swapping key personnel unless necessary. The apology she issued today seems sufficient to me.

Sitting in a car with other members of your family then going into your own house with them is fairly low risk in terms of spread. But obviously the risk multiplies if you then go shopping in another area. Or fall in another area and put strain on local services. So: no travelling is the rule.

I think @MorrisZapp has it right. They have to make the rules strict enough to cover the lowest common denominator of person. Which we've seen plenty of on here with people asking if they can buy certain shopping and judging other people's shopping, getting arsey about other people out walking when they themselves are out walking and absolutely no understanding of the saying "you're not in traffic, you are traffic". It's quite scary how quickly police and some of the general public have moved into policing the rules for the sake of the rules as opposed to having common sense.

All that being said, it's such a dumb thing to do and so risky in terms of her job and reputation my first thought was is she in a coercive or abusive relationship? I can't see why you'd risk everything unless you had a compelling reason to do so.

@CandyStripeCushion... but that’s irrelevant....what he THINKS! I don’t think it’s healthy to only leave my house once per day but if I tried to go for a drive to a local beauty spot, I’d be stopped by the police.

We’re ALL in this together, aren’t we?

Lead by example.....Oops 😡

but I'm not a fan of sacking people for one mistake

There’s scale of mistake though and in the current climate, this was of epic proportions

Did Matt Hancock do that as well or was that just a rumour?

It's a terrible example of her to set and very arrogant

She was caught out and reported. Against all advice she left her home for a totally non essential journey. And did this two weekends in a row. And went on a jaunt with her dog and family. Not on. She needs to go.

I agree. She should be sacked. How on earth can the government ask people to take it seriously when their own CMO isn’t? What a shambles

"All in this together"

Err....

She thought she was too special and important to follow the rules she set for the little people. How can anybody take her seriously now? If she can’t follow her own rules, why should anybody else?

I can’t believe how stupid and arrogant she has been. It puts me in mind of Diane Abbott, sending her son to a private school whilst commanding the little people to go to state schools. Excuse: “but that’s what I wanted for my family”. Utter hypocrisy and instant loss of moral authority.

I think she will be out of a job shortly or at least out of the public light and replaced by someone else. The FM will go through her like a dose of salts.

Even the best of us make mistakes and miscalculations. I can't imagine what it's like to be in a position like hers through this. It would affect anyone's thought processes.

I can't say I'm comfortable with how we found this out.

I think the more damaging thing is that it wasn't a one off.

The trouble is, it was a low risk activity. But if everyone continued with low risk activities, the overall impact is high. That's why there has to be one set of rules for everyone. I think she made a dreadful miscalculation of the public nature of her position, and totally undermined her position and that of the government.

Jane godleys voiceover is bloody brilliant.

One mistake? That’s what the government narrative was first thing this morning. Then it transpires she was there last weekend as well. Liar as well.

Hope she resigns. If not get sacked.

She did it twice! I could forgive once - maybe for securing a property.

But clearly thought she could get away with it. The SNP have form for hypocrisy. Salmond, expenses, the whole lot of them. Sturgeon is the only decent one and must be wringing her hands

I suspect that actually her actions were very low risk, and that most intelligent people could do the same with little risk.

This attitude is exactly what I’m worried about. Plenty of people will think ‘I’m intelligent enough to go to my second home without causing any harm, so if she can do it I reckon I can too.’

Nobody is going to think ‘I’m probably too thick to accurately risk assess this so I’ll just stay at home in case’.

The point of the rules is that they’re supposed to minimise people relying on their own (probably inaccurate judgment), and this is just setting the example that it’s ok to break the rules if you think you’re clever enough to do it safely.

Isn’t the whole point with second homes that they are in remote areas so if you took ill there then there’s not the resources around to help.

On what planet is a CMO not supposed to understand and abide by that.

Her husband whom she was away with on both weekends works in Health too. You couldn't make it up. There's a Twitter campaign for him to resign.
Sack them both I say.

She's an idiot. I really think she needs to resign. How dare she tell us we can't see our loved ones while she swans about doing what she wants.

This. It's like Chris Whitty telling us all to stay at home, then turning up on Brighton Pier eating a Cornetto.

I wonder how he is. It's all very quiet about him.

but I'm not a fan of sacking people for one mistake

Would she have considered it a mistake if she hadn't got caught though? I doubt it.

I think she should be sacked, can't believe Nicola Sturgeon is keeping her in post. And on that matter, WTF is Prince Charles at Balmoral? Does he not reside at Highgrove? Did he take ill while at Balmoral or did he go there to self isolate? Surely, those in high profile positions should be leading by example. Makes me so angry.

They have said now she won't be appearing at any more press briefings and the advert with her in is being pulled. The damage is done now. I think this will have so many ramifications.