Babak Belurs

Selasa, 23 Februari 2021

Crown Office urges Parliament to remove document from website over Alex Salmond trial fear - Daily Record

The Crown Office has urged the Scottish Parliament to remove a document from its website over fears it could breach a court order from the Alex Salmond trial.

It is understood the prosecution body has requested Holyrood takes immediate action to address its concerns.

The request came on the same day Parliament published a submission by Salmond to the Holyrood Inquiry which accused allies of Nicola Sturgeon of plotting to put him in prison.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Parliament said: “The Crown Office wrote to the SPCB last night. We have asked the Crown Office to clarify its concern so that we can respond today.”

A Holyrood committee is investigating the SNP Government’s botched handling of sexual misconduct complaints against Salmond when he was First Minister.

Salmond took the government to court and it was agreed the internal probe, which destroyed his friendship with Nicola Sturgeon, had been unlawful.

The former First Minister’s allies believe government and SNP figures tried to plot his downfall.

He was separately acquitted of sexual offences after a trial last year.

The Holyrood inquiry has itself been at the centre of a row after twice refusing to publish one of Salmond’s submissions.

MSPs on the Inquiry were concerned about a potential breach of a court order in the criminal trial.

However, the parliament’s governing corporate body decided the submission could be published and it appeared on the Holyrood website yesterday.

In his bombshell submission, Salmond accused Sturgeon of misleading Parliament in relation to the unlawful sexual misconduct probe.

Scottish politics

He also accused senior SNP figures, including Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell, of supporting a “malicious and concerted” attempt to damage his reputation.

The Daily Record understands the Crown contacted the Scottish Parliament yesterday in relation to concerns about a document published on its website.

The Crown declined to comment.

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2021-02-23 09:27:16Z
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Covid in Scotland: Plan to ease lockdown restrictions to be unveiled - BBC News

Nicola Sturgeon is preparing to unveil details of Scotland's path out of lockdown.

The return of face-to-face education, sports activities for young people and "limited" social interaction for adults will be among the priorities.

It will begin with easing current level four restrictions before moving back into a geographically variable system.

The first minister has said all decisions will be "driven by data rather than dates".

She wants the country's gradual emergence from lockdown to be "phased and sustainable", with at least three weeks between each phase.

It comes a day after Scotland's youngest children returned to the classroom for the first time this year, though most pupils continue with home schooling.

And it follows Boris Johnson's announcement that shops, hairdressers, gyms and outdoor hospitality in England would reopen on 12 April if strict conditions were met as part of a four-step plan to ease lockdown.

What will determine the exit from lockdown?

The Scottish government has said its priority is still the suppression of the virus to the "lowest possible level".

The speed at which the changes happen will be largely dictated by Covid rates across the country and the impact that is having on the NHS.

How quickly the country is vaccinated will also be a big factor in the changes to lockdown restrictions.

The latest statistics show that more than 1.4m have now had their first jab, and the it is now being offered to people with underlying health conditions, and unpaid carers.

Research published on Monday has already revealed the vaccination programme is having a "spectacular" impact on preventing serious illness.

And last week data appeared to show the Covid death rate is falling in older people's care homes - where all residents have now received their first dose.

Ms Sturgeon said: "We know we cannot continue in lockdown indefinitely and we must plan a gradual phased return to as much normality as possible.

"We hope that more children will be able to return to school later in March. And we have published new guidance to enable an easing of restrictions on care home visiting from early March.

"Beyond that, giving people the ability to meet loved ones, initially outdoors, is a priority for easing restrictions within the current level four."

Ms Sturgeon said the aim was to move Scotland back to a levels system, which would also see the economy gradually reopen.

At Monday's government coronavirus briefing, she said she expected Scotland's route of lockdown would have "broad similarities" with England but it would not be identical.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme that the UK would have to learn to live with coronavirus for some time rather than pursue an elimination strategy to rid the country of it completely.

He said such a policy was "not possible" for an "open trading nation" such as the UK, as the strategy did not work without entirely closing off borders.

Instead, he said, the UK's plan was to replace lockdown measures with protection from the vaccine.

"It's because of this incredibly successful vaccine rollout across Scotland and right across the country that we are all… able to take appropriate steps out of lockdown and keep this virus under control."

'Incredible betrayal'

The country's business sector is hoping the first minister's announcement will give them a sign of when they can possibly return to normal.

The Scottish Hospitality Group, which represents a number of big bar and restaurant operators, has called for a similar announcement to the UK government's indicative dates for hospitality reopening.

The prime minister hopes to see indoor hospitality and hotels reopen on 17 May and all legal limits on social contact lifted on 21 June at the earliest.

A SHG spokesman said: "We desperately want to see Nicola Sturgeon confirm similar plans for Scotland in her statement, and allow us to be a part of that.

"Anything less would be an incredible betrayal of those people whose livelihoods have been under threat for so long."

Meanwhile Tracy Black, the director of the CBI in Scotland, told BBC Scotland's The Nine that businesses wanted certainty.

"We think the first minister will be more cautious [than in England]," she said.

"It's so important to be be able to plan and work with staff so they know when they will come back to work. We need to see support continues if restrictions are in place - we don't want any cliff edges this year."

Ahead of the first minister's announcement, Scottish Labour called for a beefed-up testing system to be put in place.

The party's interim leader Jackie Baillie said: "Infection rates are now being driven down by a combination of lockdown measures and the roll out of the vaccine - but keeping infection rates low will depend on rapidly identifying and containing any outbreaks.

"That is why we are calling for a renewed emphasis on testing - including asymptomatic community testing on a mass scale."

Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie said the country needs to see a "clear plan for both allowing activities, perhaps outdoor first, to resume and for our NHS to be equipped to deal with the recovery".

He added: "We also need to see testing ramped up to squash future outbreaks as soon as they occur, as well as certainty for the many businesses who will dread being plunged back into the opaque tiers system."

Banner image reading 'more about coronavirus'

RULES: What are the restrictions in Scotland?
LOCKDOWN: Six months that changed our lives
CASES: Where are the latest cases in Scotland?
VACCINE: When will Scots be vaccinated against Covid?
REMEMBRANCE: The loved ones lost to coronavirus

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2021-02-23 07:58:19Z
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COVID-19: 'It's on all of us' - Matt Hancock warns easing lockdown could be slower than PM's timeline - Sky News

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned the government's timeline for unlocking coronavirus restrictions won't be sped up - and could even be slowed as ministers remain "vigilant" against infection rates.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out a four-stage roadmap for lifting England's lockdown over the next four months, with a five-week gap between each stage.

Some Conservative MPs have complained the roadmap, beginning with the return of all pupils to schools on 8 March, doesn't remove restrictions fast enough.

Live COVID news from UK and around the world

But, speaking to Sky News, Mr Hancock described the five-week gap between each stage of easing restrictions as "vital".

"It's very, very important that we can see the impact of one step before taking the next step," he said.

"There's a vital need to keep watching the data and for all us, the whole of society, to stick with this plan.

"We want to be able to hit those milestones, but we will be vigilant and watch what's happening to make sure it's safe to make each move.

"The prime minister set out the four tests we will apply before announcing each move can go ahead.

"Of course we want to make the moves at the dates that are set out.

"But it's on all of us to make sure we can by continuing to follow the rules between now and then as the vaccine rollout continues and as the really, really positive impact of those vaccines takes effect.

"This is on all of us."

Mr Hancock said that ministers were "absolutely determined" to come out of England's third national lockdown "as fast as safely possible, but no faster", with the aim of making the removal of restrictions "irreversible".

"This isn't just about choices the government makes, it's actually about how everyone responds and pulls together," he added.

"So, for now, it is so important that people stick to the existing rules.

"We can see the light at the end of the tunnel and the best way is for everybody to keep abiding by the rules, as they are in very, very large part."

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The health secretary hailed data published by Public Health England on the impact of the UK's vaccination programme, which has so far seen more than 17.7 million offered a first dose of a COVID vaccine.

"The evidence published by Public Health England yesterday demonstrates that there is a reduction of around 70% in your chance of catching the virus, and there's obviously a link from that to transmissibility," he said.

"If you don't have the virus, you can't easily transmit it. And then an even bigger impact in terms of death and hospitalisations.

"So this is a really, really good result. I had confidence we would get a vaccine, I have huge confident in the NHS to rollout the vaccine and it's wonderful to see the effect of the vaccine saving lives in the UK right now.

"Not just in a lab, not just in a trial, but the vaccines are saving lives right now."

Labour's shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds suggested her party were broadly supportive of the prime minister's roadmap, despite "concerns" about the absence of detail over continued support for businesses while they wait to reopen.

"We've consistently said the government must follow the data, that they must be listening to scientists around reopening," she told Sky News.

"And, certainly, it felt like we'd seen a real change from the prime minister yesterday, that he did seem to be focussed on that evidence.

"We do have a number of concerns about the approach of government, particularly the fact that we didn't have any clarity around business support when these changes were announced.

"It's the fourth time that has happened.

"But, in terms of having a more gradual approach, when that's justified by the evidence, yes we do think that's sensible."

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2021-02-23 07:47:31Z
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Covid-19: Lockdown easing to make life 'incomparably better' - BBC News

Everybody has to "play their part" to meet the dates for England's lockdown to be eased, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned.

It comes after Boris Johnson outlined his four-step strategy that could see restrictions lifted by 21 June - if strict conditions are met.

The PM faces criticism from some of his own MPs who believe the pace of change is too slow.

Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will reveal her own plan later.

She has said Scotland will return to a tiered system when measures are eased, meaning different parts of the country could be under different rules.

Mr Hancock told BBC Breakfast: "This is on all of us. It depends how all of us respond. Right now, we need to keep doing what we're doing and staying at home to make sure we can keep levels rates coming down while we roll the vaccine out."

It is "vital" that "everybody plays their part" as they have been doing during lockdown, he added.

Mr Hancock said: "This isn't just on us in government - although we will play our part - it's on everyone to act together to keep doing their bit to make sure that we hit these dates and get out of this as soon as we possibly can, safely."

But he said it is too soon to say when social distancing measures, like the two metre rule, will be scrapped. It is also not known when international travel will be able to resume.

Meanwhile, the government wants to determine whether offering "Covid status" certificates, which could be used by people to demonstrate they had received a vaccine or a negative coronavirus test, could help venues open again.

The prime minister said his plan offers the best chance to avoid another lockdown.

In the first step of his roadmap, all pupils in England's schools are expected to return to class from 8 March, with mass testing and wider use of face masks in secondary schools.

There will be a further easing on 29 March, with groups of up to six people or two households allowed to gather in parks and gardens.

Shops, hairdressers, gyms and outdoor hospitality, as well as self-contained holiday accommodation, could reopen on 12 April. A review of international leisure travel restrictions could also be announced.

From 17 May, two households or a group of six may be able to meet indoors in a pub or other hospitality venue such as restaurants.

Cinemas, museums, hotels, performances and sporting events will also reopen, with up to 30 people able to attend weddings, receptions, funerals and wakes.

The final step from 21 June will potentially see all legal limits on social contact removed, with the final closed sectors of the economy reopened - such as nightclubs.

Progressing along the schedule will depend on four tests: the success of the vaccine rollout, evidence of vaccine efficacy, an assessment of new variants, and keeping infection rates below a level that could put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.

There will be a gap of at least five weeks between each of the plan's subsequent steps to allow for the impact of changes on infection rates and hospital admissions to be assessed.

Mr Johnson told a Downing Street news conference the coming spring and summer would be "seasons of hope, looking and feeling incomparably better for us all".

He said he could not guarantee his plan would be irreversible "but the intention is that it should be".

On the issue of vaccine certificates, Mr Johnson acknowledged there were "clearly some quite complex issues, some ethical issues" as vaccination isn't compulsory but told a meeting of his own MPs on Monday evening that "a debate had to be had".

Some Tory MPs unhappy

Analysis box by Iain Watson, political correspondent

The prime minister addressed the 1922 backbench committee of Conservative MPs on Monday night.

He faced criticism of what some saw as slow progress in removing restrictions.

One participant suggested he was talking "gibberish" when he compared his route map to a motorway journey.

Another said the PM had been "rattled".

What annoyed some MPs was an apparent lack of flexibility in the plan with restrictions not being lifted "before" certain dates.

He was urged to keep open the possibility of bringing these dates forward if data allowed but there was "no backtracking" on the five-week wait between steps.

MPs will vote on the roadmap in late March.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the plan but said certainty was needed over the future of the government furlough scheme for both businesses and workers.

Labour shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that without clarity on business support - like the VAT reduction and the business rates holiday - "many businesses are simply throwing in the towel now and we cannot afford that in the UK when we've already had record redundancies".

Conservative MP Steve Baker, deputy chair of the Covid Recovery Group of Tory lockdown-sceptics, said the "pace of change will be a hammer blow" to industries such as aviation, hospitality and the arts.

However, UK chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said it was "very important" to leave a gap of five weeks between the changes in the roadmap to avoid "flying blind".

Sir Patrick also said "baseline" measures - such as face coverings in certain situations, hand washing, and self-isolation - may be necessary next winter.

The four conditions for easing England's lockdown measures

The devolved nations have the power to set their own restrictions.

In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said he hopes the "stay-at-home" requirement could end within three weeks, with some non-essential shops and hairdressers possibly reopening at the same time.

Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster wants its executive to discuss the reopening date for schools following Mr Johnson's announcement in England.

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A further 10,641 coronavirus cases were reported on Monday, alongside another 178 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

More than 17.7 million people across the UK have now received at least one vaccine dose, according to latest government figures.

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2021-02-23 07:36:23Z
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Senin, 22 Februari 2021

Alex Salmond accuses officials in SNP and Scottish govt of 'concerted effort' to have him jailed - Sky News

Alex Salmond has accused officials in the Scottish government and the SNP of a "malicious and concerted effort" to damage his reputation - "even to the extent of having me imprisoned".

Scotland's former first minister alleges that Peter Murrell, the SNP chief executive and husband of Nicola Sturgeon, deployed senior figures to recruit and persuade staff members to submit police complaints against him.

Mr Murrell has previously denied conspiring against Mr Salmond. The SNP has called his latest claims "just more assertion without a shred of evidence".

On the alleged effort to damage him, he claims that any supporting evidence establishing this point was not shared with the committee by Scotland's Crown Office. "Why?" he asks.

He says that when the harassment committee asked for documentation that was relevant to their enquiries, it was given "irrelevant information for which it had not asked and could never be published while relevant information remained undisclosed".

He claims that it was clear government special advisers were briefing the media on this information before MSPs sitting on the committee had even seen it.

Mr Salmond criticises Scotland's Crown office and states there has been a complete breakdown of the barriers between government, party and prosecuting authority.

He has made his final written submissions ahead of his Wednesday appearance as a witness before the Holyrood inquiry, which is looking into the Scottish government's mishandling of harassment complaints against him.

Mr Salmond alleges that Ms Sturgeon, his successor as first minister and SNP party leader, breached the ministerial code several times - which can be a resignation matter.

He states that she misled the Scottish Parliament in giving an incorrect date for when she first found out about the complaints against him. Ms Sturgeon has repeatedly denied misleading parliament.

In his final submission to the Holyrood committee, Mr Salmond addresses the legal action, a judicial review, which he launched over the government's investigation into the complaints against him.

He says the expensive case, which he won and which cost the taxpayer more than £600,000, was doomed to failure but that the hope at senior levels of government and the SNP was that police action against him would prevent it from ever coming to court.

Mr Salmond states: "The real cost to the Scottish people runs into many millions of pounds and yet no one in this entire process has uttered the simple words which are necessary on occasions to renew and refresh democratic institutions - 'I resign'.

"The committee now has the opportunity to address that position."

Separately, Mr Salmond was acquitted of 13 charges of sexual assault against nine women at a criminal trial last year.

In responding to his latest claims, an SNP spokesperson said: "This is just more assertion without a shred of credible evidence.

"Several of the women have already made clear how utterly absurd it is to suggest they were part of a conspiracy to bring him down. And yet Alex Salmond is still making these ridiculous and baseless claims and lashing out at all and sundry.

"People who supported him loyally for years and worked tirelessly to get him elected don't deserve these smears. And women who made complaints about his behaviour - who barely merit a mention in his conspiracy dossier - most certainly deserve better."

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2021-02-23 00:00:00Z
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COVID-19: How irreversible is the Prime Minister's roadmap out of lockdown? - Sky News

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COVID-19: How irreversible is the Prime Minister's roadmap out of lockdown? Sky News
Lockdown: Boris Johnson unveils plan to end England restrictions by 21 June BBC News
The roadmap rules on holidays and travel - and when stay at home will end Manchester Evening News
Is England's Covid roadmap the right way out of lockdown? The experts' view The Guardian
The Guardian view on Boris Johnson's Covid plan: a risky bet on vaccines The Guardian
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2021-02-22 22:28:47Z
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Boris Johnson announces lifting of lockdown from March 8th in England - BBC News - BBC News

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2021-02-22 22:18:24Z
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Selasa, 23 Februari 2021

Scottish politics

What will determine the exit from lockdown?

'Incredible betrayal'

More from Covid-19

Some Tory MPs unhappy

Senin, 22 Februari 2021

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