Scotland wants to make covid powers permanent

[PopcornMuncher]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/08/17/scottish-government-wants-make-emergency-covid-powers-permanent/?WT.mc_id=tmgliveapp_iosshare_Axnk434vZ14W

Would anyone actually support this or has Nicola Sturgeon lost the plot?

Sorry its behind paywall. Will try and find another source

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-58244323

Will not support and have filled out the consultation. ScotGov have officially lost the plot

madness

Nicola Sturgeon and John swinney have both completely lost the plot...

I was horrified when I read that

Mission creep in action. No doubt they’ll throw some sane and reasonable suggestions on top to make it all seem acceptable to the public. But pretty outrageous

What is their argument to have this rather than sunset clauses?

This is frightening to me. It's the stuff that conspiracy theorists talked about and were laughed at. What is more frightening is I can hear people agreeing with it. Anything to "stay safe".

The link to the consultation is here if anyone wants it! Along with the 81 page consultation document .

The idea is that the Scottish government retain the ability to implement measures if they are required in the future - meaning they can act faster to implement the same kind of measures that most people have already accepted were necessary - or that some changes that have benefits moving forward such as better access to digital services and documents are retained.

Which, when you actually look at it rationally all seems perfectly reasonable.

@SusieBob

The idea is that the Scottish government retain the ability to implement measures if they are required in the future - meaning they can act faster to implement the same kind of measures that most people have already accepted were necessary - or that some changes that have benefits moving forward such as better access to digital services and documents are retained.

Which, when you actually look at it rationally all seems perfectly reasonable.

It would seem reasonable if our COVID response had been hindered by the fact the powers weren't in place at the beginning, and we'd like to avoid similar problems in future.

But I don't think our response was hindered at all, was it? We just put the powers in place when they were needed. Why can't we just do that again, if they are required in future?

@conkersarebonkers you just said that a whole lot better than I could.

What is the need? Laws enabled to rush through without parliamentary scrutiny was exactly what happened. It's clear this can be done in an emergency without much fuss.

What scares me is so many people think this is sensible.

Lost the plot?

She's never HAD the fucking plot.

Her entire party is totalitarian and control-hungry. No dissent. No criticising the dear Leader and her ideas. Everyone singing off the same song sheet.

And yet, the hard of thinking numpties keep voting for them.

Oh and the consultation is totally pointless.

Because when they get a result they don't like, they just ignore it. Like the Hate Crime and gender recognition stuff. Results of "consultation" not published.

They just want all the SNP faithful to fill it in, saying what an amazing job Queen Nicola is doing, keeping us all safe.

There is not decent opposition in Scotland.

The press do not challenge her.

And anyone that would dare descent on Social Media gets shouted down by her followers.

For a country who have bred some great politicians it is piss poor now.

But at least she's not Boris.......that's how a good politician is measured up there nowadays.

@sashagabadon

Mission creep in action. No doubt they’ll throw some sane and reasonable suggestions on top to make it all seem acceptable to the public. But pretty outrageous

Exactly what they've done. Things which on the surface seem fairly reasonable like virtual creditors' meetings for bankruptcy proceedings and online court hearings. Seems OK.

But closing schools and keeping the powers to force people to wear masks or socially distance forever? Total overkill.

Tgere are in fact lots of issues with online court hearings

Typical example of SG's control freakery

Further erosion of the pretense of democracy in Scotland.

I agree, many of the suggestions are fine - retaining online meetings and so on. But there is absolutely no need for them to have special powers to allow them to do that. Just bring forward the relevant legislation that says "meetings shall take place in person at x frequency" and make changes to it to allow online/ more flexible meetings! If it is indeed a good idea there will be limited parliamentary debate, maybe some improvement of any suggested wording and it's done...

Anything else that needs "emergency" action can be brought forward as it was in March 2020. Seeking to have certain powers indefinitely, that can be invoked without parliamentary debate and agreement, with minimal notice and for poorly defined reasons seems very iffy to me. Especially given there is precedent for them having been granted the powers relatively easily and quickly anyway, when they are actually seen to be warranted. Parliament isn't necessarily an obstructive thing, just putting barriers in the way of the SG, cos politics/ westminster/ tories... And that the SG seems to think it is is somewhat concerning (or reflective that often their proposals do need to be challenged!).

I'm in Scotland
Scares me what's happened under SNP

Not in Scotland and i find that dodgy as fuck. Lets see what happens when the cunts and liars come vack from their holibobs next month...

Emergency powers should never be permanent. When the IRA and others were killing large numbers of people, the Prevention of Terrorism Act was renewed by a vote in Parliament annually. Same for any Covid powers, indeed I think the vote should be more frequent than that.

It's sensible.

No one knows when Covid will end, and it's safer for us if the government are able to quickly take precautions if we have a particularly bad flu year (or God help us, another pandemic).

Emergency powers should never be permanent.

Exactly how many said that the governments will want to keep these powers and were laughed at. You give goverment powers they are reluctant to lose them.