Donald Trump's comment about coronavirus and disinfectant shows why politicians should know their limits – Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP

Donald Trump’s remarks about disinfectant demonstrated the reason why politicians shouldn’t call the plays in matters of public health like the coronavirus pandemic, writes Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP
Donald Trump later claimed his question suggesting disinfectant could be injected into the body, which could cause death, had been 'sarcastic' (Picture: Alex Wong/Getty Images)Donald Trump later claimed his question suggesting disinfectant could be injected into the body, which could cause death, had been 'sarcastic' (Picture: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Donald Trump later claimed his question suggesting disinfectant could be injected into the body, which could cause death, had been 'sarcastic' (Picture: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

‘Biden 2020: He won’t inject you with bleach,” is an actual campaign slogan now adorning yard signs and bumper stickers across America as part of Democratic Party efforts to unseat President Trump in November.

Politicians sometimes speak as if we know what we’re talking about when in reality we don’t – sometimes we’re given a thumbnail sketch of a topic and expected to sound like an expert.

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So when Trump said “I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning?”, a certain cohort of American voters, who tune in to press conferences with the orange one every day for life tips, reached for the bleach. All told 33 New Yorkers appeared in emergency rooms over the weekend with disinfectant poisoning.

There’s a reason politicians don’t call the plays in public health. It’s the same reason you wouldn’t ask your hairdresser to replace your fillings. We, and I mean all of us who are elected to public office, just aren’t qualified.

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So, by necessity, it is the public health professionals who are in the driving seats of our two governments. It’s why UK politics have been remarkably quiet of late. Gone are the skirmishes over indyref2 or Brexit. Sure, occasionally you’ll have a court jester-like SNP MP Douglas Chapman try to spin a difference in Covid death rates to suggest that Scotland is somehow superior to England (to widespread public ridicule); but in the main a sober truce has descended.

The reasons for this détente are several-fold. First, it makes sense as a collection of nations inhabiting a single set of islands to approach infection control in the same way. From the start, the four countries have moved in lock step.

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The decisions have been the same, because the science and therefore the recommendations are the same. By and large, there hasn’t been a political decision in the mix when it comes to measures to fight the disease. It’s also why, to her credit, Nicola Sturgeon resisted a call from Andrew Marr to restate criticism from within her own party of the UK Government approach.

Second, the public have no appetite for political warfare right now. They are looking for unity and unshakable confidence from all political sides in the measures we are being forced to adopt as part of lockdown.

Finally there isn’t much appetite for political warfare between political parties right now, either. In truth, we’re just as frightened as everyone else. Sometimes it feels like we’re roped together in some deep network of caves, gingerly following the virologists and public health officials as they lead us out.

I was reminded of just how much I depend on the science and the medics in all this when I was tested for Covid-19 on Monday. My little girl spiked a temperature on Sunday and because my wife and I meet the key worker criteria, we were all given an appointment for the drive-through at Edinburgh Airport the next day.

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The operation was very slick and felt safe. Based in a back car park, it was fairly quiet and the staff in full PPE spoke to us patiently through the windscreen using ‘Love Actually’ style speech cards (‘Say it’s carol singers’). We had to administer the test ourselves, swabbing the back of the throat and scraping what felt like the base of my brain via the nostril (not pleasant). The instructions were simple but I still felt at sea and had to read and re-read them again.

I may be the shadow cabinet secretary for health, but I know my limitations. At times like this, public guidance and restriction must be set by the experts. Not perma-tanned world leaders with a penchant for disinfectant.

Alex Cole-Hamilton is the Lib Dem MSP for Edinburgh Western

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