Fist bumps and Sturgeon's daily briefings can stay after Covid - John McLellan

As we move towards the post-pandemic era and whatever normality becomes, is there anything we should keep from life under lockdown?

The fist bump - as seen here between Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury at Tokyo 2020 - has become an everyday greeting amid the pandemic and John McLellan doesn't want to see it go. PIC: Getty.

Stronger community spirit, increased volunteering and more people looking out for neighbours – and much reduced housebreaking – are certainly things we hope will stay.

And there are little things, fist-bumping for example. At last, the confusion about whether to give a hand-shake, peck on the check or big hug has been cleared up; no blokey test-of-strength grip like you’re packing down against the Springboks, or that slightly weird sensation of the dead fish. The fist bump should stay as a permanent reminder of the times we’ve been through.

Edinburgh Council’s administration will be searching for a replacement for the “Don’t you know there’s a pandemic” excuses for overflowing bins, unfilled potholes and great trees growing from every crack in the pavements.

And perhaps Edinburgh University’s public health expert Devi Sridhar should have a regular TV slot so we can continue to play “spot the independence plug”, or at least get her views on other public health concerns, like why five times as many people die from drug addiction in Scotland than England.

But contrary to many of my Conservative colleagues, I think the First Minister’s daily live TV press briefings should stay. Sure, there would be the usual pops at the UK Government, but Ms Sturgeon would be on the box every day answering questions about education failures, lengthening hospital waiting times, spiralling drug deaths or whatever the emergency of the day happens to be. There’s no shortage of material.

John McLellan is a Conservative councillor for Craigentinny and Duddingston.

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