Playing politics in a pandemic. In a WhatsApp from November 2020, Liz Lloyd admits looking for a public spat with the U.K. govt over the furlough scheme. “ I just want a good old fashioned rammy so can think about something other than sick people.” Sturgeon agrees “it might be worth doing”.

15 comments

1. “Nicola Sturgeon already tweeted that it was just personal messages. Why is everyone so worried about seeing pictures of MSPs’ kids?” – the die-hard types trying to sweep any mention of deleted Whatsapp messages under their tartan rug.

2. Rather cynical. But we all know the SNP have been trying to create fights with Westminster for the past few years

3. Quite a good summation of their overall governance over the last 5 years.

4. The Scottish Government had a responsibility to respond to the health emergency facing their population. The UK government were only making decisions that suited England.

   Having an extremist government in London, who not only chose to ignore what their health officials were telling them, but had their key decision maker admitting to not understanding the scientific advice, undermining your own responsibilities then they had no choice.

   We all saw it when they dragged their feet on extending furlough until it got so bad in England that they simply couldn’t ignore the problem.

   So we should be praising the Scottish Government for doing everything in their power to try to follow a public health approach tailored to Scotland’s population.

5. Playing devil’s advocate, was this not in reference to forcing Westminster’s hand with regards furlough payments? Seems like a reasonable thing to seek a “rammy” over.

   Edit: i see now that it’s in the title of OP, mea culpa.

6. It was very clear throughout the pandemic they were playing politics. Always nice to see them admit it though.

7. In all honesty, it doesn’t surprise me that their approach has been to create animosity between the two sides. We’ve always known the SNP’s decision making process is heavily influenced by this.

   However, this is a nice little bit of evidence of it happening and that Scotland being in the hands of nationalists is an awful idea.

8. Good.

   I’d expect them to do everything they could to get more furlough support.

   Ask nicely, then when that gets knocked back, try another way.

9. Oh no how dare our government put political pressure on the Tories to do the right thing

10. Yes another WM disaster imposed on S it’s just like the incompetence from WM as first part of Covid inquiry highlighted!

11. I wonder what the floating voters make of it all, as we’re really at the Nationalist/Unionist front line here, obviously the press are UK biased and are doing their level best to discredit the SNP/SG, Labour seems on a social media blitz to take advantage of the situation and benefit.

    I wonder what UK media Baron’s/Labour HQ is planning, if the SNP loses traction will the focus shift to ending Scottish Devolution? As a way of ending Scotlands’ beneficial position against the non-devolved UK?

12. More yoon pish. What’s the point? Yoons will never forgive the Scottish Government for saving their lives, whilst the UK Gov in Londons’ sole concern was how much money they could make from a fucking national health crisis. The yoons loved that, let the bodies pile high, let the Tory cronies kill thousands with faulty PPE so long as they make millions for themselves. Cheered to the rafters. While Scottish, and Welsh, governments continue to be pilloried for doing the right thing, taking the pandemic seriously, and engaging meaningfully with the crisis. And the Yoons HATE them for it.

13. Of course they played politics with the pandemic. 

    They went on TV every weekend even without any new info because it was good publicity. Then they issued SNP leaflets with the picture of the podium used on TV before the Scottish election. Unsurprisingly, they then did really well in the election. 

    To be fair, it was a political masterstroke. 

14. And quite right of them to do everything they could to pressure the UK Gov to do the right thing.

    It’s not exactly like the UK Gov were engaging in good faith and a simple discussion would have done anything

15. Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. Looking for a political fight for no reason other than to stoke up division, at a time when national unity and colaborative politics was never more important.

    Sturgeon is absolute scum. With nothing but contempt for the Scottish electorate.

    “think about something other than sick people”

    oh no, its such a downer to be thinking about all these sick and dying people during a pandemic, lets do something more interesting yeah?

    Fuckers.