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LEADING ARTICLE The Times view on lockdown divisions between the four nations: Disunited Kingdom Nicola Sturgeon should resist playing independence politics Thursday May 14 2020, 12.01am, The Times This is a disunited kingdom as its four nations diverge on their approach to ending the lockdown. In Scotland the central message did not change on Sunday, as it did in England, from “stay at home” to “stay alert”. It will not do so until, at the earliest, the next review on May 28. One would hope the Scottish government has the best interests of the people at heart but it would be naive not to note that Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, is using the crisis for her own political ends. Some significant differences in policy have emerged between the four nations. Northern Ireland has a separate plan for the release from lockdown; it has five stages, the last of which will be reached in December. The Welsh government has also diverged over some aspects. In England driving to exercise is permitted but in Scotland and Wales it is discouraged. In Scotland non-essential building sites are closed whereas in England they are opening. In Northern Ireland groups of between four and six people who do not share a household are allowed to meet outside as long as they practise social distancing. In England people are limited to one companion. There is no problem in principle with variable policy and there are many instances where it happens. This was, after all, the purpose of devolution. One size across a diverse kingdom does not necessarily suit all, and the nations have acquired considerable control over their own affairs. Policy to treat an infectious disease, however, is not an ideal instance for significant and confusing divergence. In fact, the more co-operation between different administrations, the better. That co- operation had worked tolerably well until the weekend, when it appears to have broken down. The clearest breach is between the Scottish and British governments. Ms Sturgeon has said that she is not prepared to bow to pressure from Boris John- son to ease restrictions. This places her, politically, in the uniquely advantageous position of being both government and opposition at the same time. She can claim the right to act while airing the grievance that she is being told what to do by London. When the coronavirus struck Ms Sturgeon was pushing for another vote on Scottish independence. And this crisis has not gone to waste as she continues to play politics. She insisted on giving Catherine Calderwood, Scotland’s chief medical officer, who is a gynaecologist without a relevant scientific background, parity with Sir Patrick Vallance and Chris Whitty, the British government’s chief scientific adviser and the chief medical officer for England respectively. Dr Calderwood subsequently resigned over a breach of her department’s lockdown advice. One extremely well-qualified candidate to advise the Scottish government, Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen, has been excluded. Ms Sturgeon’s critics suggested that his dislike of the Scottish National Party (SNP) may have had something to do with it. The case for independence was a poor one when it was put to the Scottish people in 2014 and it has worsened since, as the economic price has gone up. The SNP said then that the question was settled for a generation but now argues that Britain’s exit from the European Union alters the calculation. This debate, though, should be for another day. It would be much better if the different nations that make up the United Kingdom could march in lockstep on their muddled exit from the lockdown. Comments Or, two kingdoms a principality and a province. Apart from the blatant error, I know what you intended to say. What’s happening to the times of london! The payment argument is daft, London and the SE of England subsidise all parts of the UK, not just Scotland. Banging on about just annoys everyone. "The Welsh government has also diverged over some aspects" is the sole reference to Wales in this article. "Some aspects" doesn't properly convey the gulf between what still applies in Cardiff, where I live, and England since Wednesday. Apart from allowing more than one period of exercise from home, and opening garden centres, very little has changed here. The lockdown continues as before. In particular, "Stay home" is still the message being given by the Welsh government. Looking at the Times today, both reports and photos, the contrast between what's happening in Wales and England is huge. I sincerely hope the measures taken in England work without a rise in the R value, in which case they will have been justified compared with the more cautious approach of the Welsh government. But frankly, I feel safer today in Cardiff than I would in England. .

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