The Omicron variant is upon us, which means the return of the Scottish First Minister’s news conferences. These can be testy affairs, as Michael Blackley, the Scottish Daily Mail‘s political editor, found out at a recent one.
Blackley had the temerity to politely question the Scottish government’s support for the hospitality sector, asking if Sturgeon had considered relaxing isolation rules for staff. ‘Yeah, that would really help,’ came the sarcastic response. Blackley was then asked if he had ‘listened to a single word I said?’ With the First Minister finishing off by complaining that she doesn’t have the borrowing powers the Treasury has to fund support schemes.
Who could have guessed Donald Trump would be the model for Sturgeon’s presidential-style news conferences?
The point she made about borrowing is being pushed repeatedly by the SNP. It’s the sort of thing that can come across as auto-pilot grievance, but in this case there is more to it than that.
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