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Nothing is So Permanent as a Temporary (Scottish) Government Programme

by Toby Young
17 August 2021 11:30 PM

One of the most alarming things about the response to the pandemic by democratic governments across the world is the enthusiasm with which they’ve granted themselves ’emergency’ powers, suspending civil rights – and elections – so that they might better deal with the ‘crisis’. Executives have faced little opposition from legislatures, attempts to restrain political leaders through the courts have been largely unsuccessful and the media has, for the most part, failed to hold them to account. Bad though this has been, however, we have always been able to take some comfort from the fact that these extraordinary powers were temporary and that, eventually, when things returned to normal, governments would have to relinquish them.

Turns out, that was naive. The Scottish Government has unveiled plans to make its ’emergency’ Covid powers permanent. The Telegraph has more.

John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister, unveiled a public consultation on removing the March 2022 expiry date for a host of extraordinary powers, including the ability to impose lockdowns, close schools and require people to wear face coverings.

Controversial rules allowing more prisoners to be released early could also be extended, along with the wider use of fines as an alternative to prosecution.

Mr Swinney insisted measures that were no longer needed would be removed, but argued those with “demonstrable benefit to the people of Scotland” should be retained for use against Covid or anything else deemed a public health threat.

He argued the consultation was “an opportunity to maintain changes that have been welcomed by people who now don’t want to lose transformations that have been innovative” during the pandemic.

Worth reading in full.

Tags: Emergency PowersScotland

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68 Comments
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Monro
Monro
7 months ago

Marvellous!

The Democrats don’t like the British Empire even though they have one of their own!

Badenoch is now third in the Conservative leadership election.

So the Conservatives will be led by another Westminster yes man cardboard cut out.

Reform.

Last edited 7 months ago by Monro
12
0
Purpleone
Purpleone
7 months ago
Reply to  Monro

Anyone conservative was always going to be removed from the ‘choice’ – we know that…

5
0
Smudger
Smudger
7 months ago
Reply to  Purpleone

She is only parading her ‘conservative’ values to win over the sucker membership vote. And boy oh boy any member left in the Tory party is either a sucker or a wet.

0
0
Smudger
Smudger
7 months ago
Reply to  Monro

Badenoch would become a cardboard cut out yes lady too. They don’t become leader without taking the Danegeld.

0
0
EppingBlogger
EppingBlogger
7 months ago

The tail end of the left wing Biden administration (likely run by Obama for most of the past 4 years) just doesn’t care. Most politicians have short time horizons.

Aside from the security issue, they were ours and had never been meaningfully Mauritian. There might be minerals in their territorial area.

We know Mauritius cannot protect and secure these islands over 2000 miles.

8
0
For a fist full of roubles
For a fist full of roubles
7 months ago

Whoever comes at the top heap won’t be relevant for long. The Tories haven’t learned anything over the last few months and until they unite with a common purpoe they are doomed.

6
0
Jeff Chambers
Jeff Chambers
7 months ago

What is all this tosh about the “special relationship”? American foreign policy is directed at protecting the interests of the United States – and no one else. In other words the “special relationship” is a childish delusion peddled by adults who ought to know better.

8
0
Gezza England
Gezza England
7 months ago
Reply to  Jeff Chambers

It is where the UK bends over and the US decides how far it will shaft us.

3
0
Kornea112
Kornea112
7 months ago
Reply to  Jeff Chambers

You are absolutely correct. How many countries and politicians have been destroyed by this fallacy of a special relationship with Washington? Politicians delude themselves and fall into this hole because of their need and quest to be close to power. Bliar is a good example.

0
0
RTSC
RTSC
7 months ago

Next on the list will be Gibraltar …. demonstrating our continuing vassal status to the EU.

This is what happens when you have a treacherous parcel o’ rogues running a nation …… the kind we’ve had since the 1960s.

5
0
JXB
JXB
7 months ago

“…  the country’s government sold the islands to Britain for a tidy sum.”

So we can get that back with interest and allowance for inflation and pay the pensioners’ Winter fuel allowance – or buy Free Gear Keir a new suit.

0
0
Pembroke
Pembroke
7 months ago

None of these shenanigans will get a single Chagos Islander back to their islands though, at least they won’t be our problem anymore.

Of course if the Yanks did tell Liebour to hand over the Islands lets hope Mauritius doesn’t now ask them to leave too but if they do I hope the yanks will have the good sense to totally and utterly demolish all infrastructure, and flood with concrete anything underground.

0
0

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