On the 1st of January, Chinese authorities took the decision to close the Wuhan food market. The following day, 41 admitted hospital patients in Wuhan, were confirmed to have contracted 2019-nCoV (novel coronavirus) which we now know as COVID-19.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a New Year message, from the private island of Mustique in the Caribbean, that the “first item” on his agenda remained his commitment to take Britain out of the EU by the end of January.
Within weeks the virus had spread across the world to many countries including Italy, Germany, Australia, the USA and of course the UK.
It’s pretty interesting that today marks the first really tangible diversification between the Scottish and UK governments with regard to the coronavirus crisis: the Holyrood administration has rejected Westminster’s much-criticised new main slogan and will be sticking with the old “STAY HOME” message.
(Here at Wings we’re mainly upset that the extremely misguided new campaign will undermine our years-old pro-alertness position.)
Because what our latest Panelbase poll showed is that there’s a huge gulf between perception and reality in Scotland when it comes to virus strategy.
Yeah, we know we said we weren’t going to say anything else about the COVID-19 crisis, but sometimes there’s just too much stupid going around to stay silent.
A disturbing number of people appear to have interpreted the undoubted seriousness of the pandemic to mean that nobody is ever allowed to be even slightly happy for the briefest of moments until it’s all over.
As a result, while half the country is full of people just trying to cope as best they can while acting sensibly and responsibly within both the letter and spirit of the emergency restrictions, the other half has elected itself officers of the Lockdown Gestapo, pointing fingers and shrieking at anyone deemed not to be miserable enough.
This article is the only thing Wings is going to say about the COVID-19 crisis, because (a) we’re on holiday, (b) it has very little to do with Scottish politics, and (c) we’re not virologists and have no expertise to offer.
But in so far as we have some sort of reach and to some extent people listen to us, and we don’t want any of you to die, here’s a small plea for all our sakes.
As we write this, in between bouts of weeping with exhausted misery, frustration and rage, Her Majesty’s Opposition’s interminable will-they-won’t-they game of attempting – maybe, one day, perhaps – to bring down the government and force a new election leading to a new EU referendum continues.
And as the SNP in particular devotes huge amounts of energy to trying to stop Brexit, against the wishes of its own voters, we wondered how the public not just in Scotland but in the two constituent nations of the UK that voted Leave felt about that.
Hatey McHateface on Spoiler Alert: “Naw, you’ve got that wrong. It was an episode of “Rumpole Of The Bailey” wot dun it.” Dec 10, 18:16
Lorncal on Spoiler Alert: “James, I would dearly love to to see an independent Scotland but just look across the water to Ireland to…” Dec 10, 18:16
Hatey McHateface on Spoiler Alert: “Good one, TH, but a smidge verbose. I asked Grok to summarise: “Vote SNP one and two for another 5…” Dec 10, 18:13
Geoff Anderson on Spoiler Alert: “Dr. Upton. The credible witness https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpqnq3gpe0vo” Dec 10, 18:05
100%Yes on Spoiler Alert: “Liberate Scotland, was a great idea if all Indy party’s got involved but they ain’t. Liberate Scotland constant call for…” Dec 10, 18:02
Hatey McHateface on The Valley Of The Dolls: “Poor old Bilbo. Congenitally unable to comprehend that working class and Tory voting have never been and never will be…” Dec 10, 18:01
Colin Dawson on Spoiler Alert: “Let’s not forget that Fife Health Board (and countless other public and private bodies) were following allegedly unlawful instructions issued…” Dec 10, 17:26
Marie on Spoiler Alert: “If judges can ignore the law why can’t Joe Public?” Dec 10, 17:23
Marie on Spoiler Alert: “Yep. The rule of law – who cares for that?? Not Scotland’s judges.” Dec 10, 17:20
Ex President Xiden on Spoiler Alert: “We are ruled by an elite class of jackasses.” Dec 10, 17:15
Aidan on Spoiler Alert: “Whilst they can harness 30/35% of the vote they’ll have enough income from short money, from a cut of their…” Dec 10, 17:10
twathater on The Valley Of The Dolls: “TBQH Karen and Lynn I think that ANY female that votes for the Scum Nonce Party OR the Green perverts…” Dec 10, 17:09
Bilbo on Spoiler Alert: “I know I’m contradicting myself with my original comment because this has all been caused by bad legislation passed by…” Dec 10, 16:48
robertkknight on Spoiler Alert: “Scotland…the logic-free banana republic brought to you courtesy of the invertebrate Swinney and his loathsome bottom feeders in the SNP.…” Dec 10, 16:47
Captain Caveman on The Valley Of The Dolls: ““… Didn’t your Nigel cite TV programmes from the seventies towards allegations that he made racist comments as a teenager…” Dec 10, 16:47
panda paws on Spoiler Alert: “” The nurse and her legal team are expected to disclose their next steps at a press conference on Thursday.”…” Dec 10, 16:46
twathater on Spoiler Alert: “First of all to Natasha Sterling thank you for this post it echoes what most right thinking persons will think…” Dec 10, 16:26
Alf Baird on Spoiler Alert: “Logically, voting for any colonialist party (incl SNP) “is never going to deliver Independence” in anybody’s lifetime! At least Liberate…” Dec 10, 16:01
Karen on The Valley Of The Dolls: “Whit utter mince…..how could anyone have thought “good one” That will clear it up. Some need removed from their jobs…..” Dec 10, 15:59
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Spoiler Alert: “Following is from HELEN JOYCE’s book ‘TRANS: When Ideology Meets Reality’ – « In the spread of gender-identity ideology, developments in…” Dec 10, 15:50
Marie on The Valley Of The Dolls: “Any employee of B&M or Iceland will provide a more rational, socially responsible and just judgement in this case than…” Dec 10, 15:43
Platinum on Spoiler Alert: “I genuinely don’t understand how judges are allowed to publish judgements that are completely incorrect on the basics of the…” Dec 10, 15:37
Geoff Anderson on Spoiler Alert: “Absolutely! I hope the Fund raiser starts soon. This will be very demanding on Sandie but this is how the…” Dec 10, 15:32
100%Yes on Spoiler Alert: “I don’t see the SNP dying any time soon as a result of its finances, I had hoped but they…” Dec 10, 15:30
I. Despair on Spoiler Alert: “What is to be done? Parliament could try passing intelligent, coherent laws that don’t try to legislate for the impossible…” Dec 10, 15:25
Alf Baird on The Valley Of The Dolls: ““He identifies social class as a driver of the crazier parts of the judgment.” People on the Left do tend…” Dec 10, 15:22
Bilbo on The Valley Of The Dolls: “Captain Caveman Didn’t your Nigel cite TV programmes from the seventies towards allegations that he made racist comments as a…” Dec 10, 15:10
Aidan on Spoiler Alert: “Absolutely 100% Yes, voting against the SNP in 2026 is the best and really the only sensible option to break…” Dec 10, 15:10
James Cheyne on Spoiler Alert: “If Scotland was already independent the SNP AND DEVOLVED government would not exist, For the moment we seem to be…” Dec 10, 14:59
Heaver on Spoiler Alert: “Can this Upton creature not be prosecuted as a sex pest? For that is surely what he is. He’s bound…” Dec 10, 14:56
