OMICRON is here and is spreading much quicker than previous variants of Covid-19. Please get your booster jag as soon as possible. Studies have shown that getting your booster jag drastically reduces your risk of serious illness if you catch Covid.
So, for the sake of you, yours and everyone else you come into contact with, please book your appointment for your booster as soon as possible.
This year has been rough for everyone. We have been dealing with two body blows to the economy in the form of Covid and Brexit. We have been dealing with a Government in Westminster that believes it can do literally anything it wants with no repercussions. Strained supply chains, inflation, wage stagnation, Universal Credit cuts and a UK Government that exacerbates and directly causes, these problems has made 2021 another year to slog through.
The biggest story of the year is obviously the ongoing pandemic, but the biggest story politically is a corrupt UK Government starting to drown in it its own sleaze.
When you consider the Prime Minister, his Cabinet and the swathe of crooked dealings that have gone on, it’s hard to know where to start. It’s not just been happening in 2021 of course, it goes back to the Prime Minister’s first days in office.
For example, he made Priti Patel (above) the Home Secretary despite the fact she had been forced to resign from Theresa May’s Cabinet after undisclosed meetings with Israeli ministers and lobbyists. Previous to that, his time as mayor of London and his role in the Leave campaign provides a portfolio of incompetence and sleaze.
To stick with this year, however, we have seen the Prime Minister take party donations to redecorate his flat in Downing Street, leading to a fine from the Electoral Commission for “failing to accurately report” it.
We also had the appalling spectacle of the Government trying to throw out and rewrite the rule book to save one of its own MPs from a suspension. A suspension which was only applied because the MP was found to have used his position as a Member of Parliament to help out his businesses.
The scandal that has hit very close to home for everyone, is that of the parties that were taking place in 10 Downing Street last year. The Mirror broke the news that in the Prime Minister’s own home, a Christmas party took place while the rest of the country was following strict Covid measures.
READ MORE: Glaswegians give their verdict on Boris Johnson's Christmas party scandal
Instead of dealing with the issue head on the Prime Minister stated that no party had taken place. Most of us have always known that the Tories take us for fools, but there was no greater example of this than when a video surfaced of a bunch of the Prime Minister’s staff laughing as they discussed the cheese and wine at the party.
The video of Allegra Stratton and other Downing Street staffers laughing about ignoring the rules while the public didn’t visit their sick and elderly relatives over Christmas is ingrained in the psyche. At that point the Prime Minister lost any and all credibility he had with the public. He may be clinging on to power for now, but it’s clear as day that he has to go.
In time, when the dust settles, and people look back on this government, corruption and sleaze will be the only thing they find.
We have a Prime Minister and a Government that are so emboldened, they no longer feel the need to hide how irrelevant ordinary people are to them.
The irony is of course that it is ordinary people who have granted them that power. The only time the Tories react, is when the public make them react. Even then, they will throw anyone and anything under the bus to serve as a snack for an angry public, hoping it will satisfy any hunger for further justice. Anything to prevent themselves being held to account.
I am reminded of a quote, “when someone shows you who they are, believe them”. This government have shown the public time and time again exactly who they are. I hope the UK public is learning to believe them.
On that happy note, you will probably be glad to read that this is my last column of the year, so I’ll take this opportunity to wish all of you a very merry Christmas and happy new year.
It is hard to be positive right now with all that is going on, but I remain hopeful that 2022 will be a much better year than 2021.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel