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.
Young Lochinvar on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “C Very true. However I don’t think even Swinney went on the election campaign trail with family in tow saying…” Jun 28, 03:07
Cynicus on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “Scotland’s team manager,Steve Clarke, has just resigned. It takes an honourable man to act honourably. So, don’t expect the resignation…” Jun 28, 01:07
Angus on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: ““But we promise you this, readers: the questions are never going to stop. And unlike the SNP, we keep our…” Jun 28, 00:14
Red on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “Stuart, I don’t mean to embarrass you or be a sook but I’ve been a reader of yours since the…” Jun 27, 22:25
Confused on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “unredacted – from : Dot Bain to : Swinney cc : NEC, the gang, the girls, girlboss#1 Look John -…” Jun 27, 22:12
Bob Johnston on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “Is there a precedent for a Privy Councillor being jailed for fraud? Could be the establishment isn’t too keen on…” Jun 27, 20:43
Northcode on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: ““…some kind of martyrdom.” Now we see the deployment of the: “I’m Going to Use Three Big Words So You…” Jun 27, 19:59
Young Lochinvar on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “Claire I wish to heck I could put my hand on the quotation in print but my (admittedly not always…” Jun 27, 19:52
Northcode on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: ““…your petulant foot stamping…” Having now examined the specimen in its natural habitat (a social-media thread), we can confidently classify…” Jun 27, 19:50
Hatey McHateface on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: ““A lot more involved” Sure. £660k wisely invested for several years might be double that now. Might be ten times…” Jun 27, 19:44
Hatey McHateface on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “Your good friend, perhaps. No friend of the tunnel skulking scum whose misogyny, barbarism, hatred, theft and contempt for the…” Jun 27, 19:39
Hatey McHateface on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “You been criminalised yet, Northy? Seems to me you’re as free as I am to post whatsoever you like. Like…” Jun 27, 19:30
holymacmoses on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “I’m simply assuming that the Police and the Crown Prosecution Office knew they would have to prosecute someone – so…” Jun 27, 19:20
Mark Beggan on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “That’s what hells for. The post colonials are running out of text book excuses. “We’re going to need a bigger…” Jun 27, 19:18
Northcode on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: ““…you’re pebble dashing the site with high pressure shite.” Here we encounter the “Over-Invested Bathroom-Tile Enthusiast” School of Rhetoric. Only…” Jun 27, 19:09
Hatey McHateface on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “Cants gubbed Panama 6-1 an a. Is there no justice under heaven?” Jun 27, 18:58
ALANM on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “There’s a simple explanation which I’ve also cited in relation to a case currently being pursued through the courts by…” Jun 27, 18:55
David Johnston on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “The problem with the two interviews is the both the DCC and COFS were talking about the embezzlement case and…” Jun 27, 18:32
Hatey McHateface on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “Mind to come back on here, Northy, and tell us as soon as your resistance is criminalised and you’re punished…” Jun 27, 18:28
A2 on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “Where’s Colin Beattie by the way? Slipped out the back door while no-one’s looking?” Jun 27, 18:19
Northcode on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “In The Wretched of the Earth, Fanon describes the colonial world as divided into the coloniser’s zone (privileged, protected, policed…” Jun 27, 18:15
M.E on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “There’s more waffle going on here than the freezers in Iceland.” Jun 27, 18:14
Hatey McHateface on The Promise: “Good Lord, Northy! Are you claiming that the hyphen (“-“) is an alien imposition forced on the Scots by the…” Jun 27, 18:10
Fiona on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “Hands up anyone who agrees with Mr Logue that “we have a system that words” Or is there anyone who…” Jun 27, 18:04
Hatey McHateface on The Promise: “Haha, Alf, but I’ve noticed before that to be a fully paid up member of the tonto Indy faction that…” Jun 27, 18:01
Ex President Xiden on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “Crown office are being disengeneous here. In cases like this the police investigate under the direction of the Crown office.…” Jun 27, 17:38
george wood on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: “In the police interview at 26minutes in, the officer says “he was funding a lifestyle that he didn’t think he…” Jun 27, 17:34
