Covid is hard enough without daft advice from Boris Johnson and BBC reports about England's restrictions – Christine Grahame MSP

The wee Covid critter (as one American called it) has gone and developed even scarier variations. Infuenza does this all the time but at least with that we were not two metres apart, wearing face coverings and giving hand-sanitiser producers a bonanza.

Christmas was for one day only, spent for a while with my “bubble”. The tree and decorations were up in the hoose too but my heart wasn’t in it.

As for New Year, I just went to bed and didn’t even hear the ships’ horns on the Forth. Now I’m trying not to be grim and the odd sunny but freezing day does help but, my goodness, this is hard going.

I say this knowing that for thousands of my compatriots who are now out of work, on furlough, coping with children and home schooling, others fighting for their business and some for their lives, I am having it easy.

But from my in-box, from that daily influx of problems, I am not immune from the despair many feel out there beyond my desk.

Yes, the Scottish government is providing some financial support and yes, the vaccine is making an appearance, but this is a real test of our individual and collective resolve.

In fact, without the huge efforts and skills of scientists and scientific research here and worldwide, we’d really be in the soup.

So, what do we do for the time being? Rule one, obey the rules. Even today as I went out for a brief walk to remind my legs what they are for, I met folk chatting in the cold January sunshine, and they were never two metres apart.

I see Morrisons and other supermarkets are to challenge folk not wearing face coverings, which is good but most supermarkets I go to (and I do so only for essentials) do not have one-way systems any more which they did last March. Time to reinstate I think.

I actually consider Boris Johnson’s recent entreaty to behave as if you had Covid is pretty daft. If you had it you shouldn’t go out at all.

My mantra would be act as if everyone you meet has Covid and if we all did that, we would definitely keep that two metres apart, if only out of self-interest.

While I am on about Boris, I become increasingly grouchy about the Beeb (the main culprit) devoting much of its “national” bulletin to English restrictions.

For example, discussing whether nurseries and places of worship should be closed. Well they are here. No wonder constituents writing to me are sometimes confused.

When it suits, reference is made to the four nations and, when it doesn’t, the UK is the “nation” aka England (I say this born in England and half-English, lest I am accused of being a nasty Nat).

Of course, it’s no accident, as Boris sees himself as a latter-day Churchill – notice the way he stands and walks? Rule Britannia and all that.

Devolution’s bad enough but independence? Good grief, who do we Scots think we are? Mind you, while Boris is bad enough, at least we have been spared the horror that is Trump.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.