Nicola Sturgeon's face-mask lapse pales into insignificance compared to Dominic Cummings' lockdown jaunt – Steve Cardownie

Nicola Sturgeon has apologised after she was pictured speaking to people at the Stable Bar and Restaurant in Mortonhall without a face mask (Picture: Andy Buchanan/pool/Getty Images)Nicola Sturgeon has apologised after she was pictured speaking to people at the Stable Bar and Restaurant in Mortonhall without a face mask (Picture: Andy Buchanan/pool/Getty Images)
Nicola Sturgeon has apologised after she was pictured speaking to people at the Stable Bar and Restaurant in Mortonhall without a face mask (Picture: Andy Buchanan/pool/Getty Images)
Nicola Sturgeon’s error in forgetting to re-affix her mask as she turned to speak to some people at a wake has attracted no shortage of criticism, especially from some quarters who would do well to remember the proverb “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones”.

It beggars belief that some members of the Tory Party in particular have sought to gain political advantage from what was an innocent mistake – and one which she has profusely apologised for.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This from the party that shielded Boris Johnson’s special adviser Dominic Cummings when, during the previous lockdown, he jumped in his car and made a 267-mile trip from London to Durham and while he was there drove a further 30 miles to Bernard Castle “to test his eyesight”.

Read More
Nicola Sturgeon tells MSPs ‘I’ll be making sure I don’t drop my guard again’ aft...

Notwithstanding the utter contempt he displayed in believing that people were so stupid that they would swallow such nonsense, his subsequent refusal to resign or even apologise summed up his elitist attitude.

The First Minister’s transgression pales into insignificance in comparison to Cummings’ flagrant disregard for his own government’s Covid-19 rules.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It has now been reported that a random customer took the offending snap and the owner of The Stable Bar and Restaurant has gone on record to praise Sturgeon’s interaction with staff and customers, saying that she broke the rule "for a few seconds” when she was leaving and turned back to say hello to three customers.

As a supporter of independence, he is obviously miffed that he has been associated with this storm in a teacup and is concerned that his business might suffer as a result which, hopefully, it won’t.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.