The list of damages caused by Brexit grows ever longer. The reckless and unjustified decision to terminate the UK’s membership of the European Union has already dented the economy and pushed up prices.
It makes life more difficult for Scots travelling abroad and pushes the cost of doing business higher and higher. Now we learn that health officials were so concerned about the prospect of a no-deal Brexit that pandemic planning in the months before Covid was hampered.
A board set up to work on how to deal with such an event had to suspend meetings for over six months prior to the coronavirus outbreak. It was set up by then deputy first minister John Swinney in 2017 to better prepare Scotland for a future pandemic.
But progress was slow and the brakes were put on in 2018 when attention was focused to dealing with the impact of a no-deal Brexit. This does not absolve the SNP government of mistakes it made during the pandemic, but the Tories’ Brexit obsession had a negative impact on how we dealt with Covid.
It’s easy to forget now just what kind of chaos would have been caused by the UK pulling out of negotiations and ripping up its relationship with the EU. There were real fears that lifesaving drugs would be delayed at ports and patients would die as a result.
It’s not the fault of health officials that they had to prepare for such a scenario. The blame lies with Boris Johnson’s government, which was determined to push through Brexit whatever the cost.
Who knows how many lives could have been saved if health officials had their attention focused elsewhere.
Protect our kids
The senseless murder of 14-year-old Justin McLaughlin shocked Scotland. He was knifed to death in a Glasgow train station by another teenager who will now spend many years behind bars.
Two families have had their lives rocked to the core by this tragedy. The case came to court during the Record’s campaign to tackle youth violence. Through Our Kids.. Our Future we have argued for greater investment in youth facilities and services passionately.
As a country we have to engage and care more about the welfare and development of young people. We must give them something to do to help them fulfil their potential.
Justin’s grief-stricken aunt summed it up best when she said: “If there was a safe place for him to go, he wouldn’t have been out on the streets and his death could have been avoided.” Scotland must do more to tackle youth violence or more young lives will be lost.
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