‘IN the curious form of devolution that the UK has adopted, Nicola Sturgeon gets to announce things before Boris Johnson, although usually it is the other way round. On the question of requiring people to wear masks in shops, Ms Sturgeon made the announcement 10 days ago that it would be compulsory in Scotland from Friday.”
These opening paragraphs from the editorial in yesterday’s Independent on Sunday show a complete misunderstanding about the devolved governments. Nicola Sturgeon does not “get to” announce things before the PM, the government in Holyrood takes and announces its decisions of its own accord! What Boris Johnson does in the “devolved” matters for England is up to him, or more likely Cummings, and so far that has been failing.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon praises Scots for wearing face masks in shops
As all parties in Holyrood except the Tories are coalescing to oppose the Great British Market Plan power grab, it will be interesting times ahead. Keir Starmer, Labour’s new “man for the Union”, will need to be mindful of Labour’s MSPs at Holyrood who are championing the FM. The Welsh Labour FM is also girding up for the fray. Perhaps, like Corbyn, he will abstain in the vote and hide away, or morph into the English centrist politician.
The complete lack of understanding about the responsibilities of the devolved governments shown above is symptomatic of the ignorance displayed in some English newspapers. One would expect better from The Independent. It reminds one of the early days of the pandemic when the English press attacked Nicola Sturgeon holding a press conference on matters before the UK PM had done so. It is now apparent that Johnson is a part-timer PM, and in his role as a devolved English FM operating under EVEL he has had so many U-turns in policy it seems he is out of his depth.
READ MORE: Gove: good manners mean face covering law is not needed
The Brexit disease and Global Britain Britain Baloney is turning into a chaotic despotism at No 10.
It is now apparent that the world’s media are mocking the antics of the British state and its government and pointing out how it is not up to the mark of Holyrood.
John Edgar
Kilmaurs
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