A Week in Parliament

Lockdown Considerations

It looks like we are now at the point where Boris Johnson is struggling to control his cabinet split between those who are desperate for the lockdown to be lifted and those who think it needs to stay in place longer. Johnson has now expanded on his own experiences and how he was close to being put on a ventilator. He more than anyone should understand how the health risks need to be managed.

I want to get to the stage where we do see some partial lifting – maybe the starting of the construction industry and some manufacturing. And a phased in approach to retail as well. However, it is quite clear that these matters need to be handled really carefully to avoid spikes in travel and mixing which would give a second peak of the virus. This has happened in Germany, which is a country that has been deemed to have coped best in Europe with the virus to date. So, whatever happens going forward in the short term, it is clear we need to adhere to the hygiene and social distancing rules and accept the lockdown will effectively stay in place.

Business Operations

As we talk of return to work, some people will be pointing out they haven’t stopped working. Some manufacturing, online retail [Officeshoes] and telephone response companies have remained open. This has led to many enquiries to my office. The Scottish Government guidance is clear – non-essential work shouldn’t continue. So why aren’t these companies simply told to close? Well quite simply they cannot be made to close as the Scottish Government guidance is not enforceable by law. What is enforceable is that companies must put in place social distancing measures.

The reality is that employment law lies at Westminster. It is only Westminster that can order the full-scale shutdown of a sector. Under the new laws, it is unlawful for pubs and restaurants to open. It is not against the law for a manufacturing company to be operational. It is against the law for them not to have social distancing measures in place. I appreciate these nuances cause confusion. However, it comes with having two Governments and Scotland not always able to make its own decisions. Scottish Labour politicians should understand this and remember that when they demand the Scottish Government steps in to close a non-essential business in operation. Ironically, it is Labour who ensured that employment law remained reserved to Westminster. They also refused to back an SNP amendment to the Scotland Bill that would devolve employment law to Scotland. This is even more ironic given the STUC agree it should be devolved to Scotland.

Trade Talks

Despite the covid-19 crisis, the UK Government is determined the UK will still leave the EU at the end of December of this year, with or without a deal. This seems completely reckless. They are also now starting trade talks with the US. This at a time when Trump seems more unstable than ever – who seriously thinks this is a good strategy just now?