95p (SUBSCRIPTION PRICE 72p) MONDAY MAY 4, 2020 WWW.THENATIONAL.

SCOT

Ruth Wishart: VE Day jamboree is wholly inappropriate

FM: It’s not

for Boris
to decide
when our
schools
go back
‘SNP SHOULD BE
REVAMPED ... BUT
ONLY AFTER INDY’
Former comms boss warns of damage to Yes cause if party had to fold
zVirus kills Scots paramedic zCare home ravaged zGroup fined for London trip
2 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020 WWW.THENATIONAL.SCOT / @SCOTNATIONAL
Number of virus
THIS WEEK WE HAVE
9956
Here’s
what we’ve
got for you
Find out what
SUBSCRIBERS
today!happens
when we hit 10,000 at:
patients in ICU
www.thenational.scot/10000steps
THE FM is absolutely right to say Westminster
should not decide when Scottish schools will
re-open. While some pupils in England could return
in June, Nicola Sturgeon will re-open schools when
falls below 100
it is safe to do so. Boris Johnson’s Government
hasn’t got many decisions right so far: the UK
Freeman hails
death toll is almost 30,000 and there are concerns
over a lack of testing. We should not follow
‘encouraging’
Westminster’s lead on this crisis. news as numbers
drop for first time
NEWS 10 since March
COMMON BY ANDREW LEARMONTH
WEAL IN NEW
N
ICOLA Sturgeon is due to
HOUSING unveil more det ails of
Scotland’s “test, trace,
MODEL CALL isolate, support” plan.
Last week, the First Minister said
the approach taken by the Govern-
NEWS 17 ment would help the country emerge
gradually from lockdown.
ANNIVERSARY It means a serious ramping up of
testing, and tracking anyone who has
PLEA OVER been in contact with a person infect-
MURDER ed with the disease.
Speaking ahead of the launch of
VICTIM’S BODY the paper, Sturgeon said:“Test, trace,
isolate and support will be one of a
number of actions we will have to put
NEWS 19 in place to maintain suppression of
the virus, to interrupt chains of infec-
ECO VILLAGE tion and disrupt the spread and will
require the support of everyone in
TO BE AIMED our society to be effective.”
It comes as the number of corona-
AT KEY virus patients in Scotland’s intensive
WORKERS care units has dropped below 100 for
the first time since the end of March.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman
said the “encouraging news” was
PLUS, THE BEST proof that the lockdown restrictions
COLUMNISTS IN were working.
Speaking at the Scottish Govern-
THE BUSINESS ... ment’s daily briefing yesterday, the
minister revealed that of the 1666
TODAY 12 people in hospital with confirmed or
suspected Covid-19, 99 patients were
GEORGE in intensive care, down nine in 24
hours.
KEREVAN ON Freeman said: “It’s obviously very
THE CLASSIC encouraging news.
“It does show that the restrictions
FASCIST
TACTICS ON News in brief
SHOW IN US
Fuel costs help
PUZZLES 18, 28-32 PEOPLE struggling with rising
energy costs during the
LETTERS 22 coronavirus lockdown are being
encouraged to seek help, as a
TELEVISION 26 study finds average bills are up by
£32 a month. Citizens Advice
Nicola Sturgeon will be giving
more details on Scottish plans
are working, but it also underlines the
reasons why we need to stick to them.
“So I want to thank all of you for
the sacrifices you have made and I
know will continue to make. I know it
is not easy, but I hope you are begin-
ning to see – as we do – that those sac-
rifices are beginning to show results.”
In total, 12,097 people have now
tested positive for the virus in Scot-
land, a rise of 170 from 11,927 the day
before.
Of those, 1571 have died, an in-
crease of 12 since Saturday.
The Scottish Health Secretary also
announced funding for a number of
measures to support mental health
during the coronavirus crisis.
As well as the £200,000 for autism
organisations, the Government is
boosting Young Scot by £105,000 to
create “a range of digital content on
mental wellbeing”.
Another £700,000 will be pro-
vided to The Spark, a charity which
provides relationship counselling
services.
Freeman said: “The most important
message I want to get across today
is simply this – help is there if you
need it.
“The NHS Inform website can
Scotland (CAS) said one in four
households north of the border
were already in fuel poverty before
the crisis hit. Spokeswoman Kate
Morrison said: “”Local bureaux
(are) providing advice over the
phone or email, as well as our
online advice and helpline.”
help you to find the services that are
best for you.
“And the website clearyourhead.
scot has advice and tips on how to
maintain your mental wellbeing.
So please reach out, help is there
for you.”
Earlier in the day, Scotland’s chief
nursing officer said infection control
measures in care homes were “good”.
Professor Fiona McQueen esti-
mated that between 40% and 50% of
Scotland’s care homes have now expe-
rienced an outbreak of Covid-19.
Weekly figures from the National
Records of Scotland – which record
all deaths attributed to coronavirus
and not just those where a patient has
tested positive – revealed around 39%
of Covid-19 deaths in Scotland have
occurred in care homes.
Speaking on Sunday Politics Scot-
land, McQueen said: “We have good
infection prevention control meas-
ures within our care homes.
“The staff in care homes are
working tirelessly to care for older
residents.
“We have a routine that’s been in
care homes for a number of years –
care homes are used to looking at in-
fection prevention control.
“Every year we have the winter
vomiting bug, we have the flu – so
core infection prevention control
measures in care homes have been
there for some time.”
McQueen confirmed that sample
testing in care homes that have yet to
report coronavirus will begin today.
She told the programme: “Those
who have been in hospital or who
have tested positive for Covid-19 will,
before they are admitted into a care
home, will now need to have two neg-
ative tests.”
She added that the given the vulner-
ability of residents, the Government
were “looking at a way to support
testing in care homes that is as least
distressing” as possible.
 WWW.THENATIONAL.SCOT / @SCOTNATIONAL
OD drug rules relaxed
THE Lord Advocate is set to tempo-
rarily widen the availability of drug
overdose treatment, Naloxone.
Currently, under UK law, only drug
treatment services can supply take
home kits to those who might witness
an overdose.
Any other services handing out
the kits would, technically be drug
dealing.
Speaking at the Scottish Govern-
ment’s daily briefing, Health Secre-
tary Jeane Freeman revealed plans to
allow other services to offer the treat-
ment during coronavirus. She said
Attempted murder
AN attempted murder investigation
has been launched after a man
suffered knife injuries in an attack.
The 28-year-old was in hospital
with slash wounds after being
attacked near a nursery school and
the Lord Advocate had “confirmed
that for the duration of this crisis,
it would not be in the public interest
to prosecute any individual work-
ing for a service registered with the
Scottish Government, who supplies
Naloxone in an emergency, to save
a life”.
Freeman also unveiled a £1.9 mil-
lion plan to switch prisoners on pre-
scribed Opiate Substitution Treat-
ment to a new longer-acting form
called Buvidal.
That will affect around 25% of
Scotland’s prison population.
playing field in the Riccarton area
of Kilmarnock on Saturday night.
Officers are still searching for the
attacker. Anyone with information is
asked to call 101, quoting
reference number 4218 of May 2,
or contact Crimestoppers
anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
Pringle: ‘Time for
new party is after
independence
is achieved’
BY KATHLEEN NUTT
T
HE establishment
of a new
independence
party to
rival the SNP
would undermine
the independence
cause, according to
its former director
of communications.
Kevin Pringle,
pictured, went on to
say the time for a new
party to be created would
be after independence had
been achieved.
He made the point in a newspaper
column yesterday as he responded to
an article by Jim Sillars published in
the current issue of the Scottish Left
Review.
Pringle said his assessment of any
attempt to supplant the SNP “could
only undermine the independence
cause”.
He added: “The right time for
a new party would be after the
achievement of independence, when
the SNP should be revamped with a
social democratic identity and a non-
national name.”
Sillars, a former SNP deputy
leader, had speculated in his article
Health about moves to replace the SNP with
Secretary
Jeane Freeman
at yesterday’s
a new party in the wake of the Alex
Salmond trial and its repercussions.
Salmond was cleared of 13 sexual
briefing assault charges at the High Court in
Edinburgh in March, and following
his acquittal he suggested he had
been the victim of a politically-
motivated conspiracy. His backers
blame people at the top of the
Scottish Government and SNP.
A Holyrood probe will take place
later into the Scottish Government’s
flawed handling of complaints made
against him.
Sillars said a book the former First
Minister was writing would be like a
“volcanic eruption” for the SNP.
He wrote: “For the rest of us,
Paramedic dies
A PARAMEDIC who was infected
with coronavirus has died, the
Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS)
has announced.
In a post on Twitter, the
ambulance service said: “It is with
3
it is the effect of that coming
volcanic eruption on the
SNP as a party, as the
electoral wing of
the independence
movement, that
matters.
“Not being
in the Salmond
camp, but in the
SNP, and having
devoted the major
part of my political
life to the cause of
independence, I see
a need for a complete
clear-out of the highest levels
of the party before it is again fit
to lead.”
Pringle said he hoped the First
Minister was only half way through
her tenure and added that the
pandemic did not weaken the
argument for independence.
“My hope is that Nicola Sturgeon
is only approaching the halfway
stage of her tenure, which would
reflect a pattern of several SNP
leaders serving about a decade,”
he wrote.
He added: “The UK’s budget
deficit is set to see ‘an absolutely
colossal increase to a level not see
in peacetime’. Yet no one would
propose Britain, or indeed any other
country, ceasing to be independent
on that basis. The issue, as always, is
which sphere is best placed to make
decisions for Scotland, Westminster
or Holyrood.”
Despite the Salmond trial and the
claims of a conspiracy against him,
the episode has done little to affect
the SNP’s popularity in Scotland.
A YouGov poll published last
week pointed to the party being on
track for a majority at next year’s
Holyrood election. The survey found
54% plan to give their first vote to
the party, while 45% would pick
them for the regional vote. Ballot
Box Scotland said the result would
give the SNP 68 seats – an increase
of five from 2016.
great sadness to report one of our
colleagues has passed away after
contracting Covid-19.”
Pauline Howie, the chief
executive of the SAS, added: “I
would like to offer my heartfelt
condolences and deepest
sympathies to the family.”
 4 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
28 out of 34
residents with
virus at island
care home
Ross,
Skye and
Lochaber
MP Ian
Blackford
THE majority of residents at a
care home in Skye have tested
positive for coronavirus.
NHS Highland revealed 28 of the
34 residents have tested positive
for Covid-19 as well as 26 of the 52
staff at Home Farm care home.
MP for Skye, Ian Blackford,
tweeted: “My thoughts are with
all of those who are infected and I
know the entire community of Skye
will want to rally round and offer
support to all of those affected.”
He added: “Testing and contact
tracing will be important as we
all seek to see the control and
eradication of this outbreak on
Skye and all of us on the island
have our part to play in this.”
Last week, Skye Community
Response reported an “outbreak”
at an independent care home in
Portree and said that “substantial
testing” was under way.
A spokesman for the home
said: “Caring for our residents
and supporting our colleagues
is at the heart of what we do, and
we are doing everything we can
to make sure our residents and
colleagues stay safe
and well throughout these
challenging times.
“We have a comprehensive
coronavirus contingency plan in
place, which was created by our
clinical director and reflects the
latest Government guidance.
“We are working closely with our
local health and care partners and
we have all the medical equipment,
PPE (personal protective
equipment) and supplies we need
to protect residents and colleagues.
“We are providing round-the-
clock support for all our teams,
and we are also grateful to relatives
for their ongoing support and
understanding.”
Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch
MSP Kate Forbes urged locals
to follow coronavirus lockdown
measures to help stop the spread
of the virus.
She commented: “Having such
an outbreak as we have on Skye is
shocking and worrying.
“By supporting the NHS and
our care staff, by protecting all our
frontline workers, and by taking all
necessary hygiene steps,
we can contain the spread of this
virus and do our bit to save lives
– not just on Skye but in every
community.”
FM: Not for London
to decide when we
re-open schools
Report says some pupils in England may return in June
BY KATHLEEN NUTT
T
HE First Minister has said
schools in Scotland will not
open until it is safe for them
to do so, following a report
yesterday saying some pupils in
England will return next month.
Highlighting a comment from the
Welsh Government that it would
be up to it when schools opened in
Wales, Nicola Sturgeon wrote on
Twitter: “Same for Scotland. @scot-
gov – in discussion with local authori-
ties – will decide safe timetable for
re-opening schools.
“And we will keep pupils, parents
and the public properly informed
along the way.”
Her position was underlined later
by Health Secretary Jeane Freeman
at the daily press briefing on corona-
Nicola Sturgeon virus, where she pointed to the im-
said pupils, portance of understanding how the
parents and the virus was being transmitted – the re-
public will be productive or R number – in weighing
kept informed up how decisions were made.
“We are, as you know, working our
way through all of the options and
with the clinical and scientific advice
to understand where we have got to
now with the R number – the repro-
duction number for the virus – and
that’s what we are saying right now,”
she said. “There are encouraging
signs but progress is fragile.”
Carlaw urges Scottish Government to
BY ANDREW LEARMONTH
T
HE Scottish Government is
coming under pressure to
ease the lockdown on
building sites and “give
housebuilding the green light”.
Many construction workers are
heading back to sites in England to-
day with major housebuilders includ- Tory leader
ing Barratt, Persimmon, Lovell, Red- Jackson
Carlaw says
row, Taylor Wimpey and Vistry all there could
recently announcing the resumption be a disparity
of construction work. in economic
The Scottish Tories say they have recovery
now spoken to several other house-
builders who say they are ready to
return safely, but the SNP Govern-
A report in the Sunday Telegraph
said primary schools could be due to
reopen as soon as June 1, as part of
Boris Johnson’s blueprint for gradu-
ally easing the current social distanc-
ing restrictions.
The paper reported that the Prime
Minister is expected to unveil the UK
Government’s “roadmap” out of the
coronavirus lockdown in an address
to the nation next Sunday, after min-
isters take stock of a study showing
the rate of the virus’s transmission in
the UK.
Quoting Whitehall sources, it stat-
ed that based on the current, reduced
infection rate, Johnson was hoping to
put teachers on three weeks’ notice to
reopen primary schools in England to
all pupils on June 1.
It said that some secondary pupils
could return later so longer so long
as there was no risk of the R number
increasing and leading to a second
wave of the virus.
The report added that the earliest
possible return of primary school-
children is intended to minimise the
threat to “early years development”
and help parents to return to work.
Last week, the R number stood
between 0.5 and one, with the
Telegraph reporting that the figure
gave ministers optimism that they
can reopen primary schools as early
as June 1.
ment is standing in their way, while
the Scottish Builders Federation said
firms in Scotland were “under severe
financial pressure” and “keen to get
back to work as soon as practically
possible”.
The trade body said 76% of firms
were reporting that cash flow had
stopped.
The construction industry, which
employs around 170,000 people, rep-
resents 10% of the Scottish economy.
The Scottish Government have
said they’ll look again at the guid-
ance when the current lockdown is
reviewed later this week, but warned
that “every non-essential business
that opens and every increased physi-
A Whitehall source said the move
was “crucial for economic reasons,
to get things moving, but also for
educational reasons”, adding
“early years development is very
important”.
Meanwhile, secondary school pu-
pils “can do a lot more at home and
online. They are not as pressing as
primary school children, who we
know need a lot of attention”.
On Saturday, Robert Jenrick, the
Communities Secretary, said: “Home
learning is not easy, particularly
when one or both parents are trying
to work from home as well.”
A study by scientists at the Univer-
sity of Dundee found that resuming
more than just 10% of pre-lockdown
contacts with other people “would
risk a second peak”.
On Saturday, Jenny Harries, the
deputy chief medical officer in Eng-
land, said there were “some signs that
potentially younger children are less
susceptible to disease and potentially
transmit it less”.
Officials in England are believed to
be working on detailed plans for the
safest way to reopen schools, with
possibilities including temporary lim-
its on class sizes.
Reopening schools without ad-
equate testing would lead to a cata-
strophic rise in Covid-19, a teachers’
union has claimed as it dismisses
cal interaction, risks lockdown being
in place longer”.
Tory leader Jackson Carlaw
said:“We’ve been clear from the
start that if the SNP wants to take a
divergent approach from the rest of
the UK, it has to show why that’s of
benefit.
“And while this is first and fore-
most a public health crisis, we have
to acknowledge and plan for the eco-
nomic devastation too.
“Now we’re seeing work resume on
all kinds of building sites from today
in England, while in Scotland these
remain empty.
“This will cause a disparity when
it comes to economic recovery, and

government plans to adapt summer
holidays.
Last month Larry Flanagan, the
general secretary of the EIS teaching
union, cautioned against a rapid re-
turn to the classroom.
“The litmus test for schools poten-
ease construction site lockdown rules
that’s not something we want to see
replicated across the board.”
Many, he added, had spent a “vast
amount of time over the past weeks
investigating and developing new and
revised health and safety measures
and standard operating procedures”.
He added: “We have members at
different phases of readiness for a safe
return to their sites, often depending
on their specific undertaking. Whilst
we must be cautious, it is also impor-
tant that companies are given an op-
portunity to demonstrate these meas-
ures can operate effectively and then
allow a return to sites under those
circumstances.”
Responding to Carlaw’s comments,
A report said tially reopening needs to be: is there
English primary capacity around testing, tracing and
schools could isolating to prevent a catastrophic in-
reopen as soon crease in the rate of infection? Unless
as June 1 that is in place, schools cannot reo-
pen,” he said.
“Until that regime is established,
a Scottish Government spokesman
said: “While lockdown remains in
place, every non-essential business
that opens and every increased physi-
cal interaction, risks lockdown being
in place longer.
“The advice to close all but essen-
Many tial construction sites is based on
public health grounds. That remains
have the Scottish Government’s position.
been “We want to be open and transpar-
ent about the options for Scotland,
working which is why we have published a
on new paper looking beyond lockdown and
health towards a recovery to a new normal,
carefully easing restrictions when
and safety safe to do so.
measures “This includes thinking on how de-
The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
neither teachers nor parents could
be reassured that schools would be
safe places. The EIS view is that even
reopening schools in August remains
a significant challenge, let alone
unhelpful speculation about earlier
dates.”
cisions will be taken to control coro-
navirus while restoring a degree of
normality to everyday life. This has
started a grown-up conversation with
the public about the complex deci-
sions that lie ahead of us as we look
beyond lockdown.
“We are working closely with the
construction industry on plans to
restart work safely when the expert
advice supports that. We expect all
non-essential businesses to adopt a
precautionary approach by remain-
ing closed to protect the lives of their
workers and their families.
“On that basis we hope and ex-
pect that businesses will comply
voluntarily.“
5
Scots team
develops
antibody
test for virus
BY HANNAH CARMICHAEL
A NEW “fast and accurate”
coronavirus antibody test has been
developed by a company in
Edinburgh, though bosses fears the
NHS could miss out amid interest
from Europe.
Researchers for blood-screening
specialists Quotient have developed
a new test for Covid-19 immunity
which detects whether a person has
developed antibodies to the disease.
Their serological screening
machines have capacity for up to
36,000 tests a day and produce
results in 35 minutes with 99.8%
accuracy, according to the firm.
It added that it has 12 screening
machines available, with a further 20
expected to be ready by the end of
the year, but it has already had
talks with interested parties
across Europe.
However, with the new test
developed by scientists in Edinburgh,
the company is calling for the UK
and Scottish governments to begin
talks so that the NHS might be able
to benefit.
While the UK Government says it
has laboratory capability to test for
coronavirus immunity, it is currently
being used for survey testing of
existing blood samples and the
capacity is not known.
It is also attempting to develop
home testing kits, rather than
requiring analysis in laboratories, but
so far these have proved unreliable.
The Quotient tests aim to establish
whether a person has developed
antibodies to the Covid-19 virus,
usually after being infected by the
disease, and is therefore immune
from being infected again.
On Friday, the firm received
European regulatory approval for
the MosaiQ serological screening
machines with 100% sensitivity and
99.8% specificity, meaning there is a
low chance of a misread or
“false positive”.
Chief executive Franz Walt –
who was managing director of a
laboratory that developed the first
diagnostic test for Sars in 2003 –
said: “We are truly proud to have
developed such a fast and
accurate test.
“This is an outstanding
performance by our teams in both
Edinburgh and Switzerland.”
He added: “We now want to
make sure that we can help as
many people as possible as quickly
as possible.
“We have strong roots in the UK
and want to speak to ministers
there so MosaiQ can be used in
the amazing national effort to
tackle Coronavirus and relaunch
the economy.”
6 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
Rival Sage
group
set up by
scientific
experts
BY ANGUS COCHRANE
A NEW group of scientific
experts has been formed in
response to concerns about
the lack of transparency from
the UK Government’s
Scientific Advisory Group for
Emergencies (Sage).
Former UK Government
chief scientific adviser Sir
David King, who worked under
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown,
has assembled the group to
look at how the UK could work
its way out of coronavirus
lockdown. The new 12-strong
committee of academics is
keen to investigate seven key
points, including how can
successful test and trace be
achieved, and what social
distancing measures will be
needed in the future.
The group’s first press
conference will be held on
Sunday at 4pm, the same
usual time as the Downing
Street briefings over the
weekend.
There have been concerns
raised over discussions and
attendance at Sage meetings,
which are informing the
Government’s response to the
Covid-19 crisis.
Last week, the current chief
scientific adviser Sir Patrick
Vallance said a partial list of
Sage members would be
issued “shortly” after the
presence of Dominic
Cummings, Boris Johnson’s
controversial aide, at some of
the meetings was revealed.
King revealed his plans in
the Sunday Times and told
the newspaper transparency
within scientific discussion
was essential.
He added: “I am not at all
critical of the scientists who
are putting advice before the
Government ... but because
there is no transparency the
Government can say they are
following scientific advice but
we don’t know that they are.”
On Cummings’ attendance
at the meetings, he said:
“Cummings is an adviser to the
prime minister and the chief
scientific adviser is an adviser
to the prime minister.
“So there are two voices
from the scientific advisory
group and I think that’s very
dangerous because only
one of the two understands
the science.”
UK Minister admits
lives lost through
testing shortages
BY KATHLEEN NUTT
F different if target had been met earlier
EWER people would have
d ie d i n t he c or onav i r u s
pandemic if more tests had
been available earlier, a
Cabinet minister has admitted.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps
said “many things” could have been
different if the UK’s testing capacity
was above 100,000 – a target the Gov-
ernment said it met at the end of last
week – before Covid-19 spread in the
country.
His remarks came as official fig-
ures revealed 28,131 people have
now died after testing positive for
the virus in the UK. Shapps also con-
firmed the NHSX contact tracing
app – which he said would need 50%-
60% of people to use for it to be suc-
cessful – will be trialled on the Isle of
Wight this week before being rolled
out later this month.
The app will be central to the UK
Government’s efforts in slowing the
spread of coronavirus and will in-
volve alerting people who have been
in contact with an infected person
and asking them to self-isolate.
In an interview with BBC One’s
The Andrew Marr Show, he was
asked whether fewer people would
have died if testing capacity had
been greater sooner. Shapps replied:
“Yes. If we had had 100,000 test ca-
pacity before this thing started and
the knowledge that we now have ret-
rospectively, I’m sure many things
could be different.
“The fact of the matter is this is
not a country that had – although
we’re very big in pharmaceuticals as
a country – we’re not a country that
had very large test capacity.”
He also revealed he was “actively
looking at” quarantining people trav-
elling to the UK from abroad to keep
coronavirus infection rates under
control. And he cautioned life would
not return to how it was in February,
before the social distancing measures
were introduced.
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is to
urge countries to “pull together” and
share their expertise as he co-hosts
an international conference to drive
the race for coronavirus treatments,
tests and vaccines.
The Prime Minister will describe
the challenge facing humanity as the
“most urgent shared endeavour of
our lifetimes”.
Shapps said things would have been
Today’s online pledging conference
– co-hosted by the UK and eight other
countries and organisations – aims
to bring in more than £6.6 billion
in funding to support the global re-
sponse to the pandemic.
The UK has pledged to give
£388 million in aid funding for re-
search into tests, treatments and vac-
cines – part of a £744m commitment
to help end the pandemic and sup-
port the global economy.
Johnson will say: “To win this bat-
tle, we must work together to build
an impregnable shield around all our
people and that can only be achieved
by developing and mass producing
a vaccine.
“The more we pull together and
Icke’s conspiracy theory
David Icke’s claims are misinforming the public
share our expertise, the faster our
scientists will succeed. The race to
discover the vaccine to defeat this
virus is not a competition between
countries but the most urgent shared
endeavour of our lifetimes. It’s hu-
manity against the virus – we are in
this together and together we will
prevail.”
Coronavirus has claimed more than
244,000 lives around the world, ac-
cording to Johns Hopkins University.
Writing in The Independent news-
paper on Sunday, the leaders of
Transport France, Germany, Italy and Norway
Secretary Grant and senior EU officials said the out-
Shapps said break has “caused devastation and
the Government pain in all corners of the world”.
is ‘actively
looking at’ Johnson revealed yesterday doctors
quarantining prepared to announce his death as he
people battled coronavirus in hospital.
travelling into He spent three nights in intensive
the UK from care at St Thomas’s Hospital in Lon-
abroad don where he said medics gave him
“litres and litres of oxygen”.
He said: “They had a strategy to
deal with a ‘death of Stalin’-type sce-
nario. I was not in particularly bril-
liant shape and I was aware there
were contingency plans in place.
The doctors had all sorts of arrange-
ments for what to do if things went
badly wrong.”
BY ANGUS COCHRANE
YOUTUBE has deleted conspiracy
theorist David Icke’s channel after
he violated the website’s policies
on sharing information about
coronavirus.
The former footballer has made
false claims about the virus on
several internet platforms, including
videos promoting a discredited
theory that it is linked to the 5G
mobile network.
A spokesperson for the video
service, which is owned by Google,
told the BBC: “YouTube has clear
policies prohibiting any content
that disputes the existence and
transmission of Covid-19 as

The UK Government said it met its target of 100,000 coronavirus tests at the end of last week
channel deleted by YouTube
described by the WHO and the
NHS.
“Due to continued violation of
these policies we have terminated
David Icke’s YouTube channel.”
The YouTube ban follows a similar
move by Facebook, which removed
Icke’s page from its website on
Friday.
A page belonging to the conspiracy
theorist, which had more than
770,000 followers, was deleted but a
secondary account with some 68,000
followers remains active.
A screenshot taken by Icke shows
that he received a notice from
Facebook, saying: “Your page has
been unpublished for going against
the Facebook Community Standards
on health misinformation that could
cause physical harm.”
A verified account for him remains
on Twitter. It hit out at Facebook’s
decision and accused the company
of being fascist.
High-profile medics including Dr
Christian Jessen, known for his work
on Channel 4 show Embarrassing
Bodies, and comedian, writer and
former junior doctor Adam Kay
are among those calling on social
networks to remove Icke from
their platforms.
They are backed by the Centre for
Countering Digital Hate (CCDH),
which says Icke’s conspiracies over
Covid-19 have been viewed more
than 30 million times.
The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
“We commend YouTube on
bowing to pressure and taking
action on David Icke’s channel,”
commented CCDH’s chief executive
Imran Ahmed.
He added: “However, there
remains a network of channels and
Lies cost shadowy amplifiers, who promote
Mr Icke’s content (and) need to
lives in a be removed.”
global The centre asked for other
crisis ... a networks to follow the lead, adding:
“It is time for Instagram and Twitter
failure to to follow Facebook and YouTube
act by acting to remove Icke and his
promptly content from their platforms.
“Lies cost lives in a global
puts us all pandemic, and their failure to act
at risk promptly puts us all at risk.”
7
Tory minister
tells ‘partisan’
BBC to get
their house
in order
BY ANDREW LEARMONTH
THE Tory minister in charge of
broadcasting has complained to the
BBC over last week’s Panorama
investigation into personal
protective equipment (PPE)
shortages among healthcare
workers.
In a furious letter to the BBC
director general, Oliver Dowden
said viewers “should be able to
turn to the BBC for transparent,
unimpeachable, reliable news”.
In their report, broadcast last
Monday, Panorama said gowns,
visors, swabs and body bags were
left out of the Government’s
stockpile when it was set up
in 2009.
However, a number of NHS
workers who were interviewed for
the programme have since been
identified as members or supporters
of the Labour party.
In the letter, which was also
published by the Mail on Sunday
yesterday, Dowden wrote:
“Concerns have been raised that a
disproportionate number of those
interviewed in the programme were
political activists or had clear links
to a political party.
“This both was not made clear
to viewers and does not reflect the
balance of views of an institution as
large as the NHS,” he wrote.
Dowden says in his letter he is
sure Lord Hall “will agree that
at a time of heightened risk of
misinformation and disinformation,
it is more important than ever that
the BBC upholds the values and
standards we all expect”.
A senior Government source told
the paper: “There is a worrying
pattern emerging of the BBC not
doing its homework and presenting
partisan contributors as impartial.
“Viewers need to trust what
they see.”
A spokesperson for the BBC
confirmed yesterday that it had
received Dowden’s letter, and
pointed the Tory minister to
comments made by Boris Johnson at
Thursday’s Downing Street briefing.
Johnson told reporters: “I’m not
going to minimise the logistical
problems we’ve faced in getting the
right protective gear to the right
people in the right place, both in the
NHS and care homes.”
It’s the latest clash between the
Tories and the public broadcaster.
In the run-up to last year’s
election, ministers boycotted the
Today programme on Radio 4, and
there was a row over the Prime
Minister’s failure to be interviewed
by broadcaster Andrew Neil, while
Jackson Carlaw has accused BBC
Scotland of ignoring him.
 8 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020

Group fined over trip from Glasgow to London £760k

FOUR men have been fined after
they embarked on an 800-mile round
trip to attend a “family gathering” in
London.
The group was stopped by police on
the M6 at Penrith as they drove back
up to Glasgow.
Each of the men was issued a fine
for breaching coronavirus lockdown
rules. Under government measures,
all but essential travel is prohibited.
Cumbria Roads Police, the force
which stopped the vehicle, tweeted:
“This vehicle stopped on the M6
at Penrith this morning (May 2)
contained four males who were
on the return journey from
London to Glasgow for a family
gathering.
“All four issued with tickets for
breaching Covid-19 regulations.”
Earlier this week, police in
Scotland handed out 12 fixed
penalty notices to a group caught funding
flouting lockdown measures by
meeting up in a pub.
Eleven men and one woman had
boost for
assembled in the Abercromby Arms
in Tullibody.
In the four weeks to April 24,
helpline
Police Scotland issued more than BY GREGOR YOUNG
1600 fixed penalty notices to people
flouting coronavirus lockdown rules. THE Scottish Government is to
invest more than £760,000 in

Nurse’s art
a relationship support service
to help the population cope
with coronavirus lockdown.
Relationship Helpline
provides callers with access
to immediate emotional

tribute to
support and counselling.
Health Secretary Jeane
Freeman announced the
funding boost at the daily
media briefing yesterday.
In response to concerns

colleagues
about the impact of Covid-19
on family relationships and
mental health, the Scottish
Government will directly fund
200 hours per week of free
counselling and extended
opening hours for the service.
Operated by The Spark, the
Relationship Helpline will
Prayer hands painting is revealed allow callers to speak to
counsellors about any
relationship issue they are
EXCLUSIVE – as do all our NHS angels”, adding: struggling with. Counsellors
BY KIRSTEEN PATERSON “She is the nurse I would want by my will provide support to callers,
side if ever I fell ill.” as well as signposting to

H
ELD together in the
p r ay e r p o s i t i o n , t w o
gloved hands pay tribute
to the courage and
dedication of the nurses on the
frontline against Covid-19.
The artwork was created
by one nurse in honour
of her family and friends
staffing Scotland’s wards
during the pandemic.
Helen McGill, who has
herself been caring for
coronavirus patients in
Glasgow’s Gartnavel Gen-
eral Hospital, painted the un-
named piece in just one hour.
The bank nurse now plans to do-
nate it to the Beatson West of Scot-
land Cancer Centre where she spent
much of her career.
Her sister Anne Marie Kernohan
said McGill has “the kindest heart
But McGill says the piece is not
about herself, telling The National:
“People like my niece Natalie Hol-
mes, who works in ICU at Hairmyres
Hospital, they’re on the frontline
of the frontline trying to keep
people alive. I take my hat
off to them rather than
myself.”
It took McGill, of Glas-
gow’s Tollcross district,
just one hour to com-
plete the original design
in her home studio using
skills developed at regular
art classes in Dennistoun.
She said: “I grabbed my acrylics
and it just came to me. I’ve been prac-
tising hands because they’re quite
hard to do and I just popped gloves
onto them and that was it.”
The mother-of-two says nursing
during the pandemic can take an
The unnamed emotional and physical toll, but she
painting by feels “safe enough” thanks to suffi-
Helen McGill, cient personal protective equipment
left, was created
in just one hour (PPE) and hygiene regulations.
She said: “You can’t think about get-
ting coronavirus or nobody would go
into a ward. You just make sure you’ve
got your good hygiene practices and
PPE. Your skin gets sore and you get
spots after 12 hours under a mask but
these things go away.
“I think our NHS is doing a brilliant
job. I hear horror stories about my col-
leagues in England and I thank god I
work here. I’m so grateful to work in
Scotland.”
appropriate specialist
agencies or assessing them
for counselling.
Chief executive of The
Spark, Stella Gibson, said:
“Relationships are the glue
that holds our families,
communities and society
together. Isolation, fear,
concern for family and friends,
financial pressures and
anxiety about the future are
some of the stressors created
by the coronavirus crisis
which are having a detrimental
effect on our relationships.
Providing this critical
emotional support for families
and access to free counselling
will help to mitigate some of
the impact that the Covid-19
crisis is having on the mental
health in Scotland.”

Rail unions caution against rush to re-open train lines

BY ANDREW LEARMONTH potentially risk “countless lives”. trying to have hand sanitiser, one “We have severe concerns over
On Sunday, UK Transport Secretary way systems, spacing on platforms attempts by operators to increase

B
RITAIN’S rail unions have
joined forces to urge
political leaders not to start
running more trains.
In a joint letter, ASLEF, RMT and
TSSA have written to Boris Johnson,
Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of
Wales Mark Drakeford, and the
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, saying
“a blanket increase in services as
part of a symbolic and premature
drive to apparent normality” would
Grant Shapps said the Government
were looking at ways to make trains
and commuting safer.
He told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on
Sunday: “I am very concerned about
people being able to wash their
hands, that’s still by far the most
important advice, above anything
else, even above face masks and the
rest of it.
“The basic hygiene, the hand-
washing. We can help with that by
and bus stops and that sort of thing,
clearly marked out.”
He also suggested companies could
have staggered work start times to
reduce the rush hour.
The letter from the unions say
the apparent plans to increase the
levels of service will send “mixed
messages”.
They also say the necessary
measures to protect staff and public
are not yet in place.
service levels.
“First, it sends out a mixed
message that it is okay to travel
by train – despite official advice
suggesting otherwise. This mixed
messaging could be dangerous and
lead to the public flouting the rules
on travel and work.
“Second, there is no agreement
on how actually services can be Grant Shapps
increased whilst protecting workers
and passengers.”
 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020 9

This VE Day jamboree is

wholly inappropriate
T
HINGS I won’t be warbling
this Friday: We’ll Meet
Again, Rule Britannia,
There’ll Always Be an
England (Aides memoire available
on several VE Day Spotify
commemorative albums).
Things I won’t be reprising from
English Heritage’s VE cookbook:
cheese and marmite swirls, carrot
scone, homemade ginger beer.
Things I won’t be tuning into:
a rerun of a Churchill speech, a
“wartime” spirit royal address, a
national singalong.
The Second World War ended
75 years ago. There are but a handful
of veterans, all in their 90s, with
actual, personal experience of it.
Yet there is a modern army of
nostalgia mongers still selling a
vision of those terrible six years in
which the predominant flavour is
selective amnesia.
They played the “we won once,
we can do it again card” all through
the lies and distortions of the Brexit
campaign. Now they’re deploying the
same linguistic troops and tropes for
the “war” on Covid-19. Include me
out. How much does this all offend
my sensibilities: let me count the
ways. For starters, among our most
steadfast allies in the very real and
current fight we have on our hands
against the pandemic is Germany.
A nation which got its virus-
quenching act together rather better
than us. Which has a calmly rational
leader. And which has long looked
some unsavoury facts about its role
in 20th-century history firmly
in the face.
Would that we had done the same.
This time last year, I interviewed the
right-wing polemicist Peter Hitchens
on the publication of a book he
had written about war. In its
introduction he wrote: “I don’t think
anyone is going to be very keen to be
associated with this book.”
That was because Hitchens, the
son of a decorated naval war hero
and a wren who worked through
the Blitz, had decided to make a few
points over which politicians such as
Francois and Farage prefer to
draw a veil. That we spent four of
the six war years not fighting the
principal enemy at all but engaged in
Africa and elsewhere.
That the myth that Britain fought
a lonely war against Hitler was just
that, and airbrushes out of history
the role of French, Belgian, Polish
and other countries’ troops and the
input of Commonwealth and empire
countries. That Pearl Harbour and
the Battle of Stalingrad were what
essentially finished
the Germans.
And that the famous
deal between Churchill
and Roosevelt entailed
massive British gold
reserves sent to the US
and the handing over of
British territories in the
Atlantic to become US
bases. That we fought
to protect European
Jewry when we had
long averted our eyes
from their plight
and had a shoddy
subsequent record of
welcoming refugees.
And perhaps his most
devastating passage had
a rather different take on
Dunkirk: “The most popular
film in British cinemas of
summer 2017 was Dunkirk.
A modern army of nostalgia mongers are selling a vision in
which the predominant flavour is selective amnesia
But it made no attempt to explain
to a new generation why the entire
British Army was standing up to its
armpits in salt water, being strafed
by the German air force, having
wrecked, burned or dumped arms
and equipment worth billions
in today’s money.”
His point, as he is at pains to
make clear, is not to deny or decry His point
the very real sacrifices made by
both the armed services and those
is not to
left behind.His father was on the deny or
Russian convoys. His mother was an
eyewitness to nightly bombing raids. decry the
Rather his motivation was to salvage
history from the determined efforts
very real
of British propagandists
to rewrite it.
sacrifices
One aspect of the war which is made by
consistently underplayed is the
bombing of innocent German
both the
civilians, not as collateral damage
of raids on factories or supply lines
armed
but as a deliberate act designed to services
undermine morale.
We used bombing raids over highly and
populated areas of German’s major
cities and quite literally incinerated
those left
families fleeing for their lives. behind
Women, children, men too infirm
or elderly to fight. We did it. We’ve
never quite got around to owning it.
The fact that the Nazis were capable
of extraordinary brutality does not
excuse the UK from its sometime
cavalier attitude to human life
and worth.
All wars are tragedies. Only those
who have never been up close and
personal to carnage, whether in
Afghanistan or Auschwitz, imagine
that cheap tunes and jingoism are
emblematic of national resolve and
courage.
Captain Tom Moore, and his
genuinely heroic efforts last month,
reminded us, as he turned 100, just
how long ago that conflict was in all
its blood and guts and precious
little glory.
So let’s stop basking in the
warm glow of another generation’s
experiences – there have been two
going on three since then. Let’s quit
investing real loss and sacrifice with
false memory syndrome.
Vera Lynn, Glenn Miller et al
brought light and comfort into
dark times. Their music retains a
potent ability to entertain, and their
own wartime efforts are worthy of
genuine respect. I won’t be the only
post-war viewer to have shed a tear
when the Glenn Miller Story was re-
run the other evening.
But it was a movie. A cinematic
construct which took the customary
liberties with the actuality.
Five years ago there was a raft of
celebrations of the 70th anniversary
of VE Day. This might be the last
time we can honour these veterans,
was the government line at the time.
It should have been. I felt for
the German ambassador who was
forced to stand through hours of
song, dance, and speechifying to
celebrate the surrender of
his country.
To be staging a rerun of
this jamboree seems wholly
inappropriate in the midst of a real
global war in which there should be
no sides, and maximum international
co-operation.
My dad was involved in the war.
When I was having a lockdown
clearout I found his army cap.
I didn’t chuck it. Instead I
remembered the kind and gentle
man that he had been.
Like me, I believe he would be a
VE Day dodger.

Ruth Wishart TOMORROW:

MICHAEL FRY
 10 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
Call for
new Scots
housing
model
Common Weal report published
EXCLUSIVE
BY GREG RUSSELL
A
POST-pandemic finance
model for Scotland’s public
r ent e d hou s i ng s e c t or
could deliver a vit al
economic stimulus after the
lockdown and allow councils to
build unlimited high-quality homes
without subsidy at a lower cost than
present, a think tank has said.
In a policy document published
today, Common Weal said the hous-
ing sector is deeply unbalanced with
owner-occupiers faced with inflated
prices out of the reach of many, while
delivering draughty and poorly-built
homes to those who can accord them.
Likewise, the inflated private rent-
al sector trapped many, unable to pay
rent while saving for a deposit to buy;
and a deeply stigmatised social rent-
ed sector, so run down over decades
that it is no longer fit for purpose.
The report, Good Houses for All,
said Scotland’s market should offer a
quality public rental option for any-
one who needs it and, while public
policy should seek to constrain house
price rises, it should also ensure the
highest thermal performance for new-
Motorbike death brother has ‘had enough of lies’
BY JANE CASSIDY
THE twin brother of teenage
motorcyclist Harry Dunn has said
he has “had enough of the lies” after
issuing a direct plea to the Prime
Minister to get involved in the case.
Niall Dunn said he and his parents
have been “going through hell”
since his brother’s death in August
last year when his motorbike was
in collision with a car outside a US
military base in Northamptonshire.
His alleged killer, Anne Sacoolas,
42 the wife of an intelligence official
based at RAF Croughton, was
builds. It said Scotland also needed
an economic stimulus after the Cov-
id-19 lockdown, which could be cre-
ated by public rental house building
linked to industrial strategy.
Report author Dr Craig Dalzell,
Common Weal’s head of policy, said
there was a three-stage finance mod-
el to achieve this at unlimited scale
without public subsidy.
The first was using “land value
capture”, whereby the public sector
would buy land only at its “existing
use value”, and not its later worth
with planning permission – how it is
bought at present.
Money would then be borrowed
from the Scottish National Invest-
ment Bank (SNIB) over mortgage-
length periods with borrowing costs
spread over that timescale to keep
rents low.
Then a proper maintenance budget
would be built in so the homes re-
main high quality “in perpetuity”.
Dalzell told The National: “Scot-
land has not been well served by the
housing policies of successive govern-
ments. We have been forced to put
up with overpriced, cold houses and
largely left to the mercies of ‘the mar-
ket’ and told that there is no other
granted diplomatic immunity after
the crash, causing an international
controversy.
Harry’s brother wrote to Boris
Johnson yesterday, saying he is
“sick and tired of seeing my mum
and dad suffering” and asked him
to personally oversee the case. The
20-year-old said he is confident the
Prime Minister will respond.
Sacoolas was charged in
December with causing death by
dangerous driving in December but
a Home Office extradition request
was rejected by US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo in January. Niall
way. Where parties have offered to
build more houses, they rarely go fur-
ther than offering a few more than
their opponent offered – few ask,
‘have we built enough?’
“This paper leaves no more room
for excuses or delay. It shows that
Scotland can solve the housing short-
age, solve a good part of its climate
emergency obligations, eliminate fuel
poverty and break the private sector’s
choking grip on high house prices.
“This was relevant even before the
pandemic, but as we look to what we
do after the crisis, it also offers a way
of stimulating and reforming Scot-
land’s construction sector into some-
thing better without lining the pock-
ets of the volume builders who failed
us prior to the it.
“This is how Scotland can build the
houses that we all deserve.”
The initiative would entail the
SNIB being given immediate dispen-
Dunn said: “I wrote that letter to
Boris Johnson because I’ve just had
enough. I’ve had enough of the lies,
the deceit. They think they can just
walk all over us and get away with it.
“My parents have been and are
going through hell. So am I. We all
are. I just don’t understand how they
think they can get away with it.”
He added: “The Prime Minister
is the person in charge. I’m looking
to him to come and help my family,
to sort the mess out and to get
Anne Sacoolas back so we can put
everything behind us and try
to move.”
The Good sation to operate as a “proper bank”
Houses for All and local authorities opening lists for
report says families who wanted to live in one of
new-builds the new houses. Councils would then
should include tailor supply to meet demand.
higher thermal
performance These “green” homes would also be
considerably cheaper to maintain, ac-
cording to the report, which gives the
example of a three-bedroom family
home in the current market incurring
a monthly cost in rent, heating and
maintenance of around £1400.
It said a house built using the sug-
gested methodology would have a
monthly total bill of only £820. The
report said Scotland should seek to
replicate Germany’s levels of price
and rent stability in the housing sec-
tor, where security of supply was key.
Craig Berry, from the SNP Com-
mon Weal Group, said: “We need to
fundamentally change our approach
to homes and communities.
“This paper represents the opportu-
nity to tackle the problems we face in
housing, such as sky-high rents, ever
increasing inequality between those
with property and those without, and
the forces of gentrification and under-
investment displacing our communi-
ties.
“There is wide support among SNP
members for changing the system to
deliver high-quality, affordable public
rental housing at the demand of our
communities.”
Labour MSP Pauline McNeill
added: “This report could be the ba-
sis of a much fairer post lockdown
economy where there will be an even
greater imperative to focus on hous-
ing options in the public sector that
Harry Dunn help to expand options for all.
was killed last
August “The coronavirus shines a light on
the need for better standards in hous-
ing and the need for radical options.”
12 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
Classic fascist
tactics in the
dis-United States
The situation may not
have progressed very
far yet but a political
line has been crossed
and the 45th president
is responsible
George Kerevan
I
N the early hours of Thursday
morning, a gunman opened
fire with a high-powered
assault rifle on the Cuban
Embassy in north-west
Washington, DC. Local people
reported hearing at least 30
gunshots. The DC Metropolitan
Police Department later arrested a
42-year-old Texan called Alexander
Alazo. They impounded his SUV,
which had Texan number plates
and flew an American flag.
Later the same day, more armed
Americans took to the streets in
Michigan. They were members of
the self-styled Michigan Liberty
Militia – their Facebook page gives
a handy guide to the assault rifles,
pistols and commando knives they
recommend to their members.
About a dozen MLM members
in combat gear and toting weapons
were in attendance to “guard”
several hundred other protesters,
demanding the Democratic
Governor of Michigan, Gretchen
Whitmer, lift the state Covid-19
lockdown.
The protesters and militia
demanded access to the floor of
the Michigan statehouse. This is
normally prohibited. Eventually,
to calm things down, the
demonstrators (some armed) were
allowed access to the visitors’ gallery
where they proceeded to verbally
intimidate Michigan senators.
Meanwhile, other militia members
stood guard at the entrance to the
statehouse.
Did President Trump denounce
this blatant fascism? Of course
not. He called the protesters “very
good people” and urged Governor
Whitmer to “make a deal”.
In other words, to bow to armed
intimidation. For the record, the
protesters were not unemployed
manual workers. Their leader was
a real estate broker called Ryan
Kelley. He explained the purpose
of the “protest” was actually to
force minority Republican state
senators to drop their bipartisan
support for the Democrats. Far
from being a bunch of crazies, Mr
Kelley’s band of “patriots” was part
of Trump’s orchestrated takeover of
the traditional Republican Party by
extremists.
In recent days, gun-carrying
protests outside US state capitols
have become a regular occurrence.
In Wisconsin, demonstrators
wearing carrying assault rifles
built a makeshift guillotine as
a “reminder” to Democratic
Governor Tony Evers. In Arizona,
another group of armed men
joined hundreds of protesters
who demonstrated at the Capitol
demanding Republican Governor
Doug Ducey lift his lockdown order.
One should not infer from
these protests that the bulk of the
American population is opposed to
the quarantine rules. According to a
new poll by Associated Press, only
12% of Americans think current
measures go too far. In fact, twice as
many (26%) believe the rules don’t
go far enough – understandable now
that more Americans have died from
Covid-19 than fell in the Vietnam
War. A clear majority of US citizens
(61%) feels local steps taken to
prevent Covid-19 are correct.
What we are witnessing today
in the (dis)United States is a
classic fascist tactic whereby a
political minority uses violence
and intimidation to subvert basic
democratic norms, at the behest of a
demagogic leader.
I do not say that this process has
gone very far yet in America – or
that it is irretrievable. But I do
maintain that a political line has
been crossed and that the 45th
president is the person responsible.
How else do you interpret
Trump’s series of tweets calling on
supporters to “liberate” Virginia,
Minnesota and Michigan – all states
with Democratic governors. Or his
constant attacks undermining the
legitimacy of the mainstream media.
Yet in March, Trump’s popularity
rating hit a high. This was less a
reflection on his personal handling
of the Covid-19 crisis and more an
understandable rallying of public
opinion behind the existing head of
state in a dangerous crisis.
Inevitably, Trump’s ignorance,
narcissism and petulance have
squandered this unmerited national
support. His popularity rating has
dropped by six points in a month,
to 43%. Worse for him, his core
support among white Christians saw
a double-digit fall between March
and April.
Through his own incompetence,
Covid-19 threatens to wreck Trump’s
plan to secure a majority in the
November presidential election via
an artificial economic and stock
market boom.
T
HIS explains his
desperation to end the
lockdowns imposed by
various state governors,
over whom he has limited control.
Hence his use of the militia
movement to apply pressure,
particularly in Democratic states.
My liberal American friends
dismiss the anti-lockdown protests
as unrepresentative and view
the appearance of the militia as
buffoonery. I’m less sanguine.
Behind Trumpian bluster and
braggadocio lie economic interests
that are more than prepared
to fund a new wave of American
neofascism.
In Idaho, for instance, anti-
lockdown protests have been
orchestrated by the libertarian Idaho
Freedom Foundation. The IFF is
funded by extreme right-wingers
such as the billionaire Koch brothers
and Adolph Coors, the beer magnate.
IFF demonstrations involve the
notorious Ammon Bundy, owner of

a car fleet company and leader of the
armed occupation of the Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge in 2016 that
become a rallying point for the far
right in the US.
Covid-19 has exposed the fact that
America is a fatally divided society.
The virus death rate among blacks is
running at between three and four
times that of the white population
– the enduring legacy of the slavery
that built America. You don’t see
many black people demanding an
end to the lockdown.
Meanwhile, unemployment claims
among all races have jumped by
a staggering 30 million in just six
weeks. And small businesses have
been ravaged while the bulk of
federal crisis aid has gone to help big
business interests.
At this critical juncture, the
Democratic Party have failed to
provide an alternative leadership to
Trumpism. The party’s establishment
has yet again stalled the presidential
bid of the radical Bernie Sanders,
this time in favour of 77-year-old
Joe Biden.
While Trump represents the
interests of hedge funds, energy
companies, retailers and domestic
manufacturers, Biden has close
links to the big exporting US tech
companies and retail banks –
including Boeing, Microsoft, and
Citigroup. Consider Biden the status
quo candidate at a time when the
status quo is in meltdown.
Biden could win in November
Armed protesters – he is still ahead in the polls.
rally outside the But Trump is fighting dirty. The
New Hampshire incumbent in the White House
State House, is desperately trying to suppress
calling for attempts to extend postal voting
Governor Chris despite the medical emergency,
Sununu to remove
lockdown and he is ramping up his “nativist”
and racist demagogy.
It is in this context we have to
see Trump’s willingness to unleash
semi-fascist groups to intimidate
traditional elected officials
It is in this
and to undermine traditional
democratic norms.
On this side of the Atlantic,
Trump’s daft performances at the
daily press briefings are taken as
context a sign of his unfitness for office.
we have to But none of this matters in the
US heartlands. Trump offers an
see Trump’s emotional “certainty”, wrapped in
the Stars and Stripes, in an era
willingness when neo-liberal capitalism
is in deep crisis. A crisis now
to unleash compounded by actual plague.
semi-fascist The more he is attacked by
the liberal media, the more his
groups to supporters love him.
Here is the really bad news. If
intimidate Biden wins, don’t assume Trump
elected or the militias will simply go home.
A weak Biden presidency is all we
officials need to fuel a further destabilisation
of American democracy. Trump’s
and daughter Ivanka or son Donald will
undermine run on a populist ticket in 2024 amid
the ruins of the US economy. And
democratic the armed militia men will be out in
force to get whichever one of them
norms is elected.
The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
Thief grabs £100k
wedding rings
POLICE are appealing for
information after more than
100 wedding rings worth in
excess of £100,000 were
stolen from a Scottish
jewellers’ shop.
The Beaverbrooks store in
the Next shop at the Straiton
retail park in Loanhead,
Midlothian, was broken into at
about 11.10pm on Friday.
A man forced the metal
shutter, entered the shop and
made off with 101 yellow gold,
white gold, platinum and
palladium wedding rings.
He is described as having a
medium, athletic build and
was wearing light coloured
loose clothing, black trainers
and black gloves. He was
carrying a light-coloured
rucksack with a black trim
and may have been riding a
APPEAL TWO YEARS ON
Reward offer after
pensioner robbed
A REWARD of £5000 is being
offered for information two
years after a robbery in which
an elderly woman was
threatened at knifepoint
in her home.
During a raid on May 4,
2018, a 76-year-old woman
was held at her house on
Lundin Road, Crossford, Fife.
Several items were stolen.
Police have been trying to
locate a man captured on
CCTV at a petrol station in
Greenock, Renfrewshire, in
the days afterwards.
Members of the public have
been asked to come forward
if they recognise him.
Crimestoppers has offered
a £5000 reward leading to an
arrest in the case. Detective
Sergeant Kieran Marsh of
Dunfermline CID said:
13
mountain-style bike. Detective
Constable Mandy Cummings
of Dalkeith CID said: “We are
appealing to anyone who may
have seen anything
suspicious at the retail park
at the time of this theft,
particularly if they saw a man
matching the suspect’s
description.
“We would also ask people
to look out for anyone offering
rings like these for sale,
including other jewellers, and
to get in touch if they have
any information that could
help us.
“Anyone with information
should contact Police
Scotland on 101, quoting
incident 4425 of Friday,
May 1, or call Crimestoppers
anonymously on 0800
555 111.”
“Despite extensive enquiries
and a national television
appeal, we have been unable
to identify and locate this
man, who may have
information that could assist
our investigation.
“We are further appealing
for the public’s help with this.
Anyone who recognises him
is urged to contact either
police or Crimestoppers.”
The man police want to
speak to is around 5ft 8in tall
and may have a foreign
accent, possibly eastern
European. He was seen at the
Tesco garage in Greenock on
Monday, May 7, 2018 and may
drive a black Vauxhall Mokka.
He may have Greenock or
Clackmannanshire links and
was in West Fife in the days
before the robbery.
14 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
Surge in popularity saves
the beloved Scottie dog
BY HANNAH THE Scottish terrier – more
CARMICHAEL famously known as the Scottie dog
– has experienced a surge of
popularity in the first three months
of this year, resulting in the breed
no longer being at risk of dying out,
according to a leading dog welfare
organisation.
The historic native breed has a
Monopoly piece to its name and is
the face of renowned brands such
as Radley, but last year it was at risk
of disappearing after numbers fell so
low that they were put on the Kennel
Club’s “At Watch” list for the first
time.
But new statistics from the
organisation indicates a boost for
the breed, with puppy registrations
increasing by 92% in the first few
months of 2020 compared to the
same period last year.
The resurgence in popularity
makes the Scottie dog the “top riser”
so far in the new decade.
Til Tovey, chairman of the Scottish
Terrier Club of England, said:
“Scottish terriers are affectionate,
loyal and intelligent, so we are
delighted that this heritage breed
seems to be bouncing back from
historically low puppy numbers.
“Of course responsible breeders
will always place welfare first, not
breeding simply to boost numbers, so
we hope to continue to see a steady
resurgence, with new owners taking
time to research their decision.
“Scottish terriers may be small
but they certainly have big
personalities and are simply iconic
in this country – so they would be
sorely missed if they were to dwindle
as a breed.
“We hope this revival means the
future is bright for our much-loved
Scotties!”
Other native terrier breeds on
the up include the Jack Russell
Terrier, the historic Parson Russell
Terrier, and the Cairn Terrier, which
originated in the Highlands.
There is worrying news, however,
for another of Britain’s most
recognisable dog breeds, the Old
English Sheepdog.
The breed can be instantly
recognised as the “Dulux dog”, but
numbers fell to historic lows in 2019
with just 317 puppies born.
So far in 2020, there have been
just 53 puppy registrations – a 46%
decrease when compared to the
same period last year.
 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020 15

Scots team finds 60 ‘new’

plant species in a year
BY KIRSTEEN PATERSON
Issuing a climate change warning,
The pink-
striped botanist Dr Mark Hughes said: “All

T
REES, flower s and even
fungi – Scottish botanists
have recorded almost 60
“new” species in a year.
Specimens taken from countries
spanning from Peru to Vietnam
have been scientifically recorded and
named for the first time thanks to the
Edinburgh team working to catalogue
life on Earth.
One of the 56 finds – a miniscule
organism taken from mud – was
made close to the team’s Royal Botan-
ic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) base.
The Sellaphora pausariae, a form
of algae which cannot be seen by the
human eye, was scooped up from the
city’s Blackford Pond and has now
taken its place in scientific registers
along with the Amentotaxus heko-
uensis, a 5 metre tall endangered co-
nifer native to China’s Yunnan prov-
ince, northern Vietnam and Laos, as
well as Borneo’s Begonia dracopelta,
a flowering plant with “warty” leaves
similar to the skin of the earless moni-
tor lizard that lives alongside it.
As a result of the likeness, RBGE
scientists gave the plant a name mean-
ing “dragon-shield”. RBGE used DNA
sequencing to confirm each specimen
was a discrete species.
Six tree types from rainforest re-
gions were identified in the mallow
Cyrtandra
vittata of
New Guinea
is among
the newly
described
flowers
family, including the newly named P.
glabrum, which can grow to reach as
high as 40m, while the pink-striped
Cyrtandra vittata of New Guinea is
amongst the newly described flowers.
The largest group of discoveries
were in lichens, with some found
amongst the subalpine wetlands of
Mexico and Venezuela.
these 56 new species are part of an in-
ternational obligation to fulfil objec-
tives for the Global Strategy for Plant
Conservation.
“The aim is to ensure all plant
diversity, on which all life de-
pends, is understood, documented
and recognised
“ Giving plants a name is the first
step in ensuring their future. At a time
of such rapid global environmental
change, the work of botanic gardens
has an increased sense of urgency.”
He went on: “We always find our
new discoveries exciting and it is very
satisfying to make sure each plant
species gets a voice in a rapidly chang-
ing world
“Each brings a reminder of the
number of species yet to be discov-
ered – and what they might mean for
the world’s habitats, on which all hu-
man and animal life depends. But, in
many regions around the world, time
is not necessarily on our side.”
 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020 17
Family are still Suzanne
Pilley was
last seen
desperate to see on her way
to work in
Pilley properly Edinburgh
in 2010.

laid to rest David Gilroy,

below, was
convicted of
BY JANE CASSIDY her murder
in 2012

T
H E f a m i ly of mu r der e d
Suzanne Pilley has made a
plea for help to find her
b o dy , on t he 10 t h
anniversary of her disappearance.
Pilley’s sister said her family has
been left in “limbo” since she went
missing in Edinburgh, unable to “say
a proper goodbye” until her body is
found. The 38-year-old’s former lover
David Gilroy was convicted of her
murder in 2012 and ordered to serve
at least 18 years of a life sentence.
But Gilroy, now 57, has never re-
vealed where Pilley’s body was hid-
den and it remains missing despite
extensive searches, primarily in the
Argyll Forest Park.
A decade on from when Pilley was
last seen on her way to work as a
bookkeeper at a Thistle Street office
in the capital, her sister Gail Fair-
grieve urged anyone with informa-
tion to contact the police.
Fairgrieve said: “For the past
decade we have lived in a state of
New plea over murder
limbo, waiting for the news that
Suzanne’s body had been found,
but we’ve never been able to get that
closure. We accept that Suzanne was
murdered and believe the person re-
sponsible is in prison, but we feel we
victim’s body 10 years on
cannot say a proper goodbye until her “Their investigation can only con- tice was served in terms of Suzanne’s hasn’t yet spoken with police, to con-
body is found. clude when Suzanne is found and murder. However, it is deeply tact us immediately.
“Both my mother and I want to so I would plead with anyone regretful that, as of now, we have “Sadly, Suzanne’s father Rob died
again thank the public who have con- who knows something but hasn’t been unable to recover her body in February 2019 without ever know-
tinued to contact the police, which come forward to search their con- and bring a sense of closure to ing what happened to his daughter.
has always given us hope that Su- science and get in touch. her family. “We remain committed to finding
zanne has not been forgotten. “Not for our sake, but for Su- “We will continue to revisit these answers for Suzanne’s mother,
“We understand that only one per- zanne’s. Please let us give her the this investigation and conduct Sylvia and sister, Gail.”
son can tell us where Suzanne is but burial and send-off she deserves.” fresh search activity in the Argyll Anyone who may have information
has refused to do so. Detective Chief Superintendent Forest area, whenever we receive is asked to contact Police Scotland
“Police Scotland will respond to Stuart Houston, from Police Scot- new information from the public. I’d by calling 101, or can contact charity
any information and are committed land’s specialist crime division, add- urge anyone who believes they have Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800
to bringing us some form of closure. ed: “I am entirely confident that jus- any relevant information, but who 555 111.

Scots actor McKidd gets band back

together for Celtic charity single
BY HANNAH CARMICHAEL
A CHARITY single featuring
Scottish actor Kevin McKidd and a
host of musicians and singers has
been released today, along with an
accompanying JustGiving page.
The Celtic ballad, Leave a Light
On, is raising funds for the Trussell
Trust and Help Musicians UK.
Grey’s Anatomy star McKidd
is male lead vocalist on the track,
accompanied by Northern Irish
singer Mairead Carlin. James D
Reid composed and produced the
song, while Carlin’s husband Ronan
Scolard arranged and produced it.
The idea to release the single
came about when friends McKidd
and Reid discussed wanting to do
something to help, having been “very
shocked” by reports on empty food
banks. A plan was hatched after a
chat with fellow actor Iain Robertson
to pull together their old team from
a previous 2012 album collaboration,
The Speyside Sessions, which went
straight to the Number One spot on
the iTunes World Music Charts in six
different countries.
McKidd said: “I’d been looking
for an excuse to get the old Speyside
Sessions Band back together. It’s
been a great experience. James has
done a great job with writing Leave
a Light On. He and Ronan had an
uphill struggle to mix and produce
this song with the quarantine
restrictions and everyone being apart
– but they did it brilliantly”
Reid added: “Some songs you have
to chisel away at and some just come
out as quick as it takes to play them
through – this was the latter.
“But it took a week to get all the
musicians to lay down the backing
and then another week to get all the
vocals in. Ronan, our arranger, and
Scott Cameron, our engineer and
mixer, then laid the tracks down and
synced them. I’m delighted with how
great is sounds, given the difficult
circumstances. It’s come out as a
proper wee Celtic ballad.”
Leave a Light On is available to
download on iTunes and Google
Play, and can be streamed on
platforms including Spotify, Apple
Music and YouTube. JustGiving
donations are going to The Trussell
Trust via just.ly/lalo, while Help
Musicians UK will receive all
download revenue. Grey’s Anatomy star Kevin McKidd
18 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
THE WORLD TODAY
Senate re-opens
despite virus
pandemic crisis
T
HE US Senate will reopen
today as the coronavirus
crisis rages and the House
of Representatives stays
shut, an approach that
leaves Congress as divided as
the nation.
Senate majority leader Mitch
McConnell’s decision to convene
100 senators at the Capitol during
a pandemic gives his fellow
Republican Donald Trump the
imagery he wants of America
getting back to work, despite health
worries and a lack of testing.
Yet the Washington region
remains under stay-at-home orders
as a virus hot spot. Gathering
senators for the first time since
March puts at risk not only
politicians but the cooks, cleaners,
police officers and other workers
who keep the lights on at the
Capitol complex. “We will continue
to stand together for the American
people – even as we stand six feet
apart,” McConnell said.
President Trump himself offered
Congress access to the instant
virus test system used to screen
visitors to the White House. But in
an extraordinary rebuff, McConnell
CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
and Democrat house speaker
Nancy Pelosi said in a statement
on Saturday they would
“respectfully decline” the offer and
instead direct resources to the
front lines “where they can do the
most good”.
For Senate Republicans,
returning to session is an attempt
to set the terms of debate as
Democrats push for another costly
‘Coup’ attack
prevented
VENEZUELAN officials said they
foiled an early morning attempt
by a group of armed men to
invade the country by boat,
killing eight attackers and
arresting two more.
Socialist party chief Diosdado
Cabello said on state television
that two of the attackers were
being interrogated by
authorities. He claimed it was
carried out by neighbouring
Colombia with US backing in a
plot to overthrow president
Nicolas Maduro.
Both countries have repeatedly
denied earlier allegations of
backing for military plots against
the socialist Government.
‘No surgery’
for leader Kim
NORTH Korean leader Kim Jong
Un did not undergo surgery
or any other medical
procedure, a South
Korean official
coronavirus relief bill. Frustrated has said.
after Pelosi boosted Democratic North Korea had
priorities in earlier aid packages said on Saturday
– an unprecedented $3 trillion that Kim attended
(£2.4tr) in emergency spending – the completion of a
they are resisting more. fertiliser factory near
Republicans are counting on the Pyongyang on Friday,
country’s reopening and an in his first public
economic rebound as their best appearance in about
hope to limit a new round of big 20 days.
spending on virus aid.
ACROSS DOWN
1 Socialites? (5,7) 2 Ronald may assist criminals? (9)
9 Painstaking, but sad over us taking on 3 Dorothy has briefly led strolls (7)
debts? (9) 4 Pedagogues could be a bit eager? (4)
10 Find fabric in House of Commons (5) 5 Nurses are arranging one for guarantors? (8)
11 Inspire Edward with link (6) 6 Consider explanation (7)
12 Hamburg has no mode of transport? (8) 7 Fashionable sound! (5)
13 Bosses plan to take over (6) 8 Car sometimes revamps consoles (12)
14 Salesperson lets final character have 9 Thanks for slow dance around keg! (12)
biscuits! (8) 15 It’s a wrap! (9)
17 Rank fewer alternatives together, being 16 Set reads, as stated (8)
sluggish (8) 18 Clumps and stumps! (7)
19 Stateside aid occurs haphazardly (6) 20 Be subjected to one drug (7)
21 Last month? (8) 22 Disturbed to see you two taking part-time
23 Read dictionary definition of ‘enthusiast’ (6) work (3,2)
25 Go, in continental style perhaps? (5) 24 Noticeable it’s partially ear-related (4)
26 Classes top-rated oil, with trust (9)
27 Perhaps related to research into Lord Scott
and pensioner (12) CALGACUS
SATURDAY’S SOLUTION:
Across: 1 Confabulations 10 Star 12 Spawn 13 Minnow 16 Oven Down: 2 Oafs 3 Frumpy 4 Bandwagons 5 Lies 6 Ostensibly
17 Aggressive 19,9 Inordinate influences 20 Slur 22 Nordic 23 Proud 7 Strawberry tart 8 Five to midnight 11 Kiosk 14 Democratic
26 Gate 27 Bricklayer 28 Technicalities 15 Oratorical 18 Admit 21 Bullet 24 Uric 25 Byre -
See tomorrow’s paper for today’s solutions

Distiller’s whisky
to be sold in 20
more US states
AN award-winning Scottish
distillery is set to boost sales of its
whisky in the United States after
clinching a new deal with a major
American importer.
Moray Scotch whisky maker
GlenAllachie has appointed ImpEx
Beverages as its new exclusive
US importer in a move aimed at
increasing its availability stateside.
The GlenAllachie Distillers
Company core range of single malts
and MacNair’s Lum Reek blended
malt will be distributed into around
20 additional states, including key
markets such as Texas and Colorado.
The news follows a sustained
period of growth and success since
master blender and entrepreneur
Billy Walker and his team acquired
the Aberlour-based distillery in 2017.
Sam Filmus, president of ImpEx
Beverages, said: “We have been
following the GlenAllachie for a long
time and are thrilled to now be a
part of its future success in the US
market.
‘Green’ village to be
aimed at key workers
Affordable housing bid as new blueprints emerge for low-carbon site
BY KIRSTEEN PATERSON
O
NE hundred affordable
homes for medics, police
and care workers could be
built as part of a new low-
carbon village.
Developers have revealed plans to
sell the residences to key workers as
part of DunBear Park, a mix of retail,
drive-through, housing, office and
other units which could be created in
East Lothian.
Named after the 18ft Andy Scott
sculpture which pays tribute to Dun-
bar-born naturalist John Muir, the
development could be created at Hall-
hill in the East Lothian town.
Known as the “father of national
parks” in the US, he championed wild
land and his work contributed to the
establishment of protected park areas
in that country.
A proposal of application notice has
been submitted to the local authority
and, if granted, will see building take
place across a 54 acre site.
It’s claimed that it could play a
“major role” in supporting econom-
ic recovery in the local area after
lockdown ends.
GlenAllachie’s new markets will include the key states of Texas and Colorado
Developers plan to use “innova-
tive” low-carbon technology to gen-
erate renewable heat and power on
site and reduce its impact on the
environment.
More than 1500 homes have either
been built there or are under con-
struction already.
It’s hoped that 100 of the planned
affordable homes will go to key work-
ers and that an innovation centre
there will accelerate the growth of
The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
start-ups and small businesses. Since
commencing work started at the Hal-
hill development in 1999, it’s thought
that 600 jobs have been created.
A report by consultants found that
it’s contributing £30 million to the
economy every year.
Ken Ross of Hallhill Developments
Ltd commented: “We are delighted to
be bringing forward proposals for our
low carbon community, which we are
aiming to be an exemplar develop-
ment, adopting the latest low-carbon
technology.
“DunBear Park will assist in creat-
ing jobs and delivering housing for
key workers, who have played such
vital role during Covid-19.
“It will also assist in the supporting
Named after the construction-led recovery from
the DunBear the current crisis.
sculpture, the “We will be undertaking exten-
development sive engagement on our proposals
would be a and look forward to the involvement
mix of retail,
drive-through, of the community in shaping our
housing, office development going forward.”
and other units Scott’s sculpture was unveiled
at the site last year at land off
the A1 motorway and symbolises
Muir’s travels through the American
wilderness.
19
Some great
ideas have
come out of
this crisis
BY MAUREEN
MCGONIGLE,
SCOTTISH
WOMEN IN
SPORT
WE are all spending so much
more time gazing at a screen,
whether it be for business,
pleasure or indeed sport. Of
course there is a worry that we
might all burn out with
“screenitis”, but I am not sure if
we would be able to get through
this pandemic without the
internet.
So much is happening online
to keep us amused and for
certain sports there has been a
lot of inspirational innovation
which has benefited both
athletes and organisations.
Many of those who had
intended to run in the London
Marathon to fundraise for their
favourite causes thought up
other personal challenges
which satisfied their own need
to be active and also kept the
sponsorship money rolling in.
So the 2.6 Challenge was
born. The one stipulation was
that you had to follow the social
distancing rules. Otherwise,
your imagination was your only
limitation as long as you
included the numbers two
and six.
We have also had the toilet
roll challenge, the design
challenge, sports quizzes and
the opportunity to become privy
to many a “conversation with”
where sports stars are
interviewed one-on-one,
through social media platforms,
giving their fans an opportunity
to hear direct from their own
particular sporting legend.
This also helps promote sport
and athletes, all of whom will be
keen to keep their profile high
during this hiatus in the
sporting calendar.
Scottish Athletics held a
15-minute virtual challenge that
enabled athletes to maintain
their fitness and competitive
edge while observing social
distancing. A total of 1100
athletes got involved.
Amid the continuing
uncertainty over the future for
sport in Scotland, these
challenges bring people
together and keep spirits high,
both for participants and fans.
We are all still looking forward
to getting back to “normal”, but
when that will happen is still
very unclear.
 Message from The Editor,
Callum Baird
T
HE coronavirus crisis is changing
everything. Scotland is in
lockdown. Businesses are going
bust. Your life has changed
completely in the space of a couple of
weeks.
But what you might not yet have
realised is the impact lockdown is
having on your newspaper. Across
Scotland, more than 500 shops have
closed since last Monday. At the
same time, buying habits are
changing. People are more
reluctant to leave the house to go
and pick up their newspaper.
We’ve had many messages
from some of our older
readers who are in self-
PLEASE SUPPORT
THE NATIONAL AT THIS TIME
isolation and simply don’t want to
risk their lives to go out and buy
a newspaper. And of course, we
completely understand. But all this adds
up to a huge impact on The National.
Newspaper sales across the UK are
down around 30% since lockdown
began last week. It’s unclear whether
they’ve now bottomed out at that
level, or whether they’ll continue to
fall. At the same time, businesses
are using innovative digital
technology to make sure their
adverts are placed next to
coronavirus content online. Which
means that, as a trusted news
website, while our traffic
has never been higher, the
money we make from online advertising
is falling. Taken together, the situation
poses a deadly threat to our paper’s
future.
We’re asking everybody in the Yes
movement to consider taking out a
digital subscription to the paper to help
us get through this.
On the positive side, we’ve add 500
new digital subscribers since the crisis
began. But that’s not enough to make
up for our drop in sales.
Please sign up to our Premium Plus
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months – and spread the word – sign up
at www.thenational.scot/subscribe
When all this is over, we still have
indyref2 to win ...
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22 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
THE NATIONAL
CONVERSATION
Have your say by emailing letters@thenational.scot!
The SNP can’t change
the timing of Brexit,
so why bother trying?
I
DESPAIR, feel like tearing my
hair out, all because of the
front page of the Sunday
National. Ian Blackford in a bid
to delay our exit from the EU in
December. Why oh why does he do
this? He and the SNP hierarchy
spent endless amounts of time
trying to save our English
neighbours from the disaster of
Brexit to no avail. It should have
been none of their business.
The Scottish people voted to stay
in Europe and if England wanted to
leave that was up to them, misguided
as they may be. If the path the SNP
took prior to the General Election
had succeeded, our chance of ever
getting another referendum was gone
forever. They left themselves hostage
to fortune and were saved thanks to
the Tories’ win in England.
I and many like me, who joined the
SNP in the 1970s when were treated
as oddballs and a success was saving
a deposit, deserve better than this.
Ian Blackford cannot stop the Brexit
exit date unless the Tories vote for it.
It won’t happen, so why embark on a
strategy which is doomed to failure?
Much better to get on the front foot
now regarding the disaster that is
to befall all of us after the Covid-19
pandemic is over.
The scribes in the UK media are
already sharpening their pencils to
tell us that without the Treasury’s
support we were doomed. The
SNP will again be defending.
Totally unnecessary – the Scottish
population like every other part
of the UK pay taxes and virtually
all of the money dispensed is
borrowed, pushing the UK national
debt over £2 Trillion. The UK
Government’s mishandling of the
Covid-19 pandemic has caused many
unnecessary deaths and left every
one of us deeper in a UK national
debt that will never be cleared. Great
thing to leave to our grandchildren.
Ian Blackford’s
latest move
has grabbed Clarifications
headlines, but
what is the and corrections
point of it? IT is our policy to correct errors
as soon as we can and all
corrections and clarifications
will usually appear on this page.
We are regulated by the
Independent Press Standards
Organisation (IPSO) and adhere
to the Editors’ Code of Practice
(see www.ipso.co.uk).
The National is published by
Newsquest (Herald&Times) Ltd.
Complaints should be referred
to Callum Baird, Executive
Editor, The National, 200
Renfield Street, Glasgow, G2
3QB, or emailed, for the
attention of Callum Baird, to
letters@thenational.scot
z If we cannot reach
a resolution, contact
complaints@ipso.co.uk or by
post at Ipso, Gate House,
1 Farringdon Street, London,
EC4M 7LG.
Westminster will never give up its
hold on the last substantial colony it
has. Playing their game will never get
us the independent country people
like me work for and crave. Sadly
I feel that many of the people we
elected to Westminster have been
sucked into the system there. We
have 50-plus MPs there, holding the
government to account. Please.
There is no democracy in London.
We have the English government
with the numbers necessary to
do what England wants. Let’s get
real. Stop playing the game to their
rules and get on the front foot. This
independenista, for one, has had
enough of futile headline-grabbing
Have you got
gestures. Let’s get some edge to our a good story?
politics in London. Get ahead of them
and starting hitting where it hurts. Contact us on
They are there to be had.
David Smart
0141 302 6609
Brechin
at Holyrood next year, now is
LIKE most of your readers I am emphatically not the time to stop
impatient for independence. I am, campaigning for indy.
however, getting tired of those who To be guilty of mixing my
argue for a big push at this time. metaphors, we need to strike while
The democratic argument is being the iron is hot and we have the wind
won by slowly but surely, convincing in our sails. There are severe
the No brigade they will be better restrictions on what can be done at
served running their own affairs. present, because of the Covid-19
The Scottish Government is doing lockdown, but one way
this by showing real leadership and we could publicise the case for
acting in the interests of the nation. independence is by taking en masse
This is leading to a grudging to social media.
admission by many of my Unionist Even opponents in Better Together
friends that we have a real leader at agreed that during campaigning for
the helm. Any attempt in the current the 2014 referendum, the Yes side
crisis to campaign forcefully would were more active and effective by far
simply fuel the media to cry fanatic on social media than they were.
and dismiss us as zealots. Let’s all get posting, tweeting
The only way to independence is a etc about the benefits of being a
clear majority at the ballot box. normal country again and – just as
Colin Harvey important – about the drawbacks
Kirkintilloch of being part of the UK. Let’s get
conversations going with undecideds
WITH a new opinion poll and even with receptive opponents.
predicting an overall majority for Peter Swain
independence-supporting parties Dunbar

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.thenational.scot
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @scotnational
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thenationalnewspaperscotland
THE YouGov and Survation
polls on Friday confirm not
only a surge to the SNP but
also the growing popularity of
our First Minister. Trust in
politics is invaluable, and
what this crisis has shown
again is our First Minister,
as well as the SNP more
generally, connecting with
others and conveying the
message in an honest and
compassionate way.
This is pleasing for a range of
reasons but significantly, it points
towards an overall SNP majority in
2021, paving the way for a second
independence referendum.
Let this be a clear and
unequivocal message to the
doubters and critics within our own
movement. The message around
independence is important but the
messenger is absolutely crucial.
Those yet to be convinced by
independence need to be to able
trust the person that is sharing
We need to
review how
we care for
the elderly
IT is time the care home
coronavirus crisis was put into
the correct context. The huge
proliferation of care homes,
residential homes and
sheltered housing is mainly a
result of UK Government
decisions in the 1970s to take
old-age care out of the NHS.
Most of the sector now is
owned by multi-millionaires and
huge companies. The workers
in these facilities see little real
benefit from the huge costs the
residents pay, and if they are
inadequately provided with the
resources to do their jobs
properly, including protection,
the immediate responsibility
lies with the proprietors.
It is obvious to all that this
sector will inevitably see the
highest number of fatalities of
this pandemic but we see the
UK Government, suspected of
trying to conceal the number of
deaths in this sector, and the
Scottish Government, which is
honestly reporting them, both
being attacked for failings in
this area over which they have
less than adequate control.
Surely when we have got out
of this crisis it will be time to
look seriously again at how we
provide old-age care.
Dave McEwan Hill
Sandbank
their vision of a better, fairer and
more equal society. Nicola
Sturgeon is the independence
movement’s best chance of
delivering this. Get behind her
and the SNP.
Gary Hogarth
Edinburgh
I SEE that when Health
Secretary Matt Hancock
announced his success in
reaching his target of 100,000
Covid-19 tests a day by April 30, he
The only way to said the achievement was
independence “incredible”. How right he was!
is a clear If he had announced figures for
majority at the April 31, 32, or 33 at the same
ballot box time, they would not have been any
more (in)credible.
We are now in Wonderland,
where there are two parallel lines of
truth – credible medical figures and
facts, and incredible political figures
and facts.
Joe Farrell
Glasgow
The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
OUR ROADSHOW
PLEASE note that due to the
coronavirus pandemic, The
National’s roadshow events
have been suspended until
further notice.
Are you are self-isolating and
in need of help with shopping
or collection of prescription
medicines? Or are you worried
about an isolated friend or
relative who may need
assistance in the coming
weeks, or perhaps just
someone to chat to by phone?
Get in touch with us by
emailing community@
thenational.scot and we’ll do our
best to put you in touch with an
online group or individual
reader in the local community.
 WEBSITE COMMENTS
Re-opening of schools
would be a godsend
Nicola Sturgeon: We’ll decide
when Scots schools open –
not Boris Johnson
Rightly so. Just a thought. Why
doesn’t the Scottish Government
get children back to school for a
rolling two days – two days at
school, two days off – splitting
the children into two groups.
Then the schools will only be half
full at any time, then there could
be social distancing in the
classroom. The only problem
would be will be the playground.
As someone who has to home
school three primary school
children, all in different years,
along with a three-year-old who
wants to play, all in a three-bed
flat, anything to get them back to
school with safety in mind would
be a godsend for me. :-(
Alex Buchanan
As ever, the British government
gets it wrong. Right now, we
should be emphasising only
the need to maintain lockdown.
As soon as governments start
talking about timetables you can
be sure there will be those who
consider it a challenge to get
ahead of that timetable.
Peter A Bell
Letters: Pandemic provides an
excuse for more SNP dithering
Now is not the time for discussion
about independence.
Far from dithering, the First
Minister has shown mature and
sensible leadership during the
biggest crisis to hit Scotland
since war against Hitler was
declared in 1939. The impact of
the Covid-19 crisis regarding
social life and work life is still far
from clear and far from over.
23
The First Minister has shown if
she and the Scottish Government
had been in full control over
decisions about Covid-19,
Scotland would probably have
taken stronger measures sooner
and perhaps saved more lives.
The fact the death rate in
England is currently more than
60% higher than Scotland,
despite the UK Government
pushing the devolved
governments to follow their lead,
shows to a great degree the
differences she and the Scottish
Government have made.
William Spalding
I really wonder at the myopia of
some of our independence-
supporting fraternity. This letter
appears beside another article
telling us that polls are showing a
large rise in support for the SNP
expected at next year’s election.
Do these people never stop to
consider where this continued
and solid rise in support is
coming from? How on earth can
you call the work the SG is doing
dithering? This is the base, the
long-term support, that will
deliver independence. It isn’t
wishful thinking or simply
bulldozing over the large section
of Scottish electors. It’s by
winning their confidence and
support and demonstrating that
an independent Scotland will be
far better governed than the UK
will ever be.
Peter Kerr
Peter Kerr, entirely correct and
what I repeat on here seemingly
on a daily basis. Matter of timing
only now. The votes are baked in.
Henry Mcvey
24 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
Advice
has been
selectively
ignored
MY friends and relations know
when I am angry.
I go into a shell, quietly fuming,
and if nothing else happens,
I explode! On Friday I did
just that. I got fed up with
hearing every government
spokesperson saying “we
listened to scientific advice”.
Ministers and advisers were
well briefed and took every
chance to deflect criticism
away from the government,
but we know that listening to
scientists is not enough. You
can’t just listen and then ignore
the advice and information you
are given which does not agree
with your political point of view.
It seems clear from the
information we have been given
about the reports from Cobra
that avoiding damage to the
economy received greater
priority than protecting
peoples’ health and saving
lives. The make-up of the
Scientific Advisory Group for
Emergencies, 10 scientists
and 13 political advisers,
ensured that unbiased
scientific opinion took a back
seat to political expediency.
The true application of
science is about measuring all
of the evidence and drawing
conclusions, some of which
you may not agree with. If you
ignore conclusions that are
based on impartial assessment
of the evidence, you cannot
claim that you have science on
your side.
The result of not taking
account all of the science
resulted in delays in testing and
isolating. The policies adopted
by the most successful
countries in dealing with the
pandemic were all similar. Test
at borders. Test anyone with
symptoms. Test contacts of
anyone tested positive. Isolate
all who test positive. Minimise
social contact. These were all
actions that resulted from
looking at best practice and
taking scientific advice.
Our government failed to take
similar advice until it was too
late, and as a result a large
pool of infection spread around
our nation. We are paying for
that delay now, with lost lives.
Isn’t it time that “true science”
not “faux science” should be at
the heart of our policy-making?
Pete Rowberry
Duns
THE NATIONAL
CONVERSATION
Have your say by emailing
letters@thenational.scot
Change in
attitudes
to basic
income is
welcome
I
WAS encouraged – a little –
to read in The National on
Friday that UBI is being
seriously considered (£20bn
universal basic income recovery
scheme is workable and affordable,
says LSE report, May 1) because it
signals a step change from worn-
out, discredited ideology. If
Scotland (and indeed the rUK)
is to break its dismal record of
poor productivity and under-
achievement it is time to
consider new approaches
rather than slavishly following
ideological purity.
Simply continuing along the
well-trodden path of tinkering
with the economy does not address
the fundamental weakness of
Scotland’s and the rUK’s economy,
nor does it improve productivity.
This is because government subsidies
and incentives to business – the
traditional policy mechanism –
have been focused on increasing
supply while productive business
investment actually depends
primarily on increasing demand.
Without increasing demand,
extra revenues from a corporation
tax cut will go to shareholders
through buybacks and dividends,
not to improving the wealth and investment is crucial to economic
wellbeing of the majority of the growth. A universal basic income
population. would provide an underpinning to
For example, in the first six weeks an increase in demand.
after Trump’s massive tax cuts in And productivity? Technological
the USA, US companies announced change has driven the increase in
a record $171 billion of share productivity since the Industrial
buybacks – more than twice the Revolution. Investing in the ability
already high level in the whole of the of people to create and use new
prior year. It was basically a wasted technology represents the best way
opportunity that just drove the US to increase aggregate demand. It
deeper into debt. is also the best way to increase
What needs to be understood and productivity. So programmes to
accepted is that the historic under- support life-long learning and
performance of the economy and the upskilling are an essential ingredient
poor productivity is not because of a of economic growth.
lack of supply but a lack of demand – Conversely, a similar increase in While I have no doubt that there
driven by inequality of incomes and the bottom 20% produces a 0.38 Want to is no chance of UBI in Scotland
no or low wage growth. percentage point higher growth. advertise in while it is controlled by Westminster,
Both the OECD and the IMF have The OECD likewise found that The National? a more agile and innovative
concluded that increasing income rising inequality over the last Contact: independent Scotland could and
inequality is bad for economic two decades dragged growth Stephen should implement this policy and
growth. The IMF found that if down by 0.35 percentage points McTaggart join the club of the 10 wealthiest
the income share of the top 20% – producing a cumulative loss of 0141 302 6137 nations in the world per capita (who,
increases by one percentage point, 8.5% over 25 years. stephen. incidentally, are all smaller than or
GDP growth is 0.8 percentage points The key to increasing business mctaggart@ of a similar size to Scotland).
lower in the following five years – ie investment is increasing household thenational.scot David Cairns
the benefits do NOT trickle down. incomes – and increasing business Finavon
 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020 25

Picture The long letter...

of the
day ‘Rocking the boat’
COMMUNITY Editor now will not bring a
Yes vote any closer
Shona Craven
stopped to capture
this striking sunset
while out running
in Pollok Country

WE really need to stop this current
fixation with UBI (Mhairi Black:
We need UBI to tackle crisis, May
2). UBI is often presented in overly
simplistic terms and partially
justified, as it is in Mhairi’s column,
with the job-destroying technology
myth “artificial intelligence has
grown in ability and threatens many
jobs in the future”.
We need to accept that UBI is
complex and will not be introduced
in the near future; it will NOT
allow everyone to “ensure they can
house, heat and feed themselves”.
Scotland cannot introduce UBI
unilaterally, as Nicola Sturgeon has
already made clear. It is not and
never will be a panacea and if we
allow this Tory government to hijack
it and introduce their form of UBI,
it will simply be another Universal
Credit/Minimum Wage/Living
Wage debacle.
This crisis has a long way to go,
but we have already had Andrea
Leadsom stating we need to
“incentivise the wealth-creators”
Park, Glasgow on
Friday evening
Submit your
photographs
to pictures@
thenational.scot
(she didn’t mean workers) to drive
the Great British economy to
new heights. Other Tory MPs and
profiteering business people have
made similar allusions. It is clear
who the Tories will protect and who
they will tax.
So, I’m afraid it’s time for SNP
members to put UBI on the back
burner and instead prove our
competence by concentrating on the
My thanks crisis at hand. In the near future we
to David need to get political by exposing the
incompetence and lies of the UK
Mundell Government and again making the
for case for an independent Scotland.
Eddie McKinney
providing Edinburgh
us with a MY thanks to David Mundell for
much- providing us with a much-needed
needed laugh in these difficult times. All
credit to Fluffy for serving up a bit
laugh of top-notch entertainment and
helping to further the cause of
independence at the same time.
Mo Maclean
Glasgow
I
READ with interest Julia
Pannell’s letter in the
Sunday National (May 3).
There is much rhetoric but
little substance in this letter.
The attack on the SNP and its
leadership is of course her
prerogative but it has to have a
sound basis, particularly during
this pandemic which consumes
us all at this time.
References to Sillars and
McKenna to back up her
argument I believe not only
fail but are misplaced. I am
not sure that the thoughtful
Kevin McKenna would agree
that he was “shredding the
SNP strategy”.
The facts are that any
attempt at aggressive
campaigning and to politicise
the Covid-19 pandemic as a
conscious policy by the SNP
would be doomed to failure.
The Scottish public in general
will not take kindly to an SNP
that states that their policy on
handling the coronavirus is
better and more effective
than the Tory Westminster
approach, or that the SNP will
not cooperate or participate
with the UK Government in
handling this crisis, or that the
Westminster handling of the
pandemic makes it clear that if
we were independent we would
more successful in dealing with
the crisis.
However, many Scots
believe privately that such
policies would be the correct
ones. I am not sure “rocking the
boat”, as Ms Pannell puts it,
would bring independence
any closer.
We are presently in a
pandemic never seen in a
hundred years, the people
of Scotland see politics and
political point-scoring as the
least of their concerns in the
life-and-death situation in
which we find ourselves at
this time. The one priority
people wish to see is a
Scottish Government and its
leadership doing all they can,
during this crisis, to protect their
health and welfare and that of
their families.
Quite clearly, as the latest
polls suggest, they are
succeeding. Throughout the
UK 70% believe the Scottish
Government are doing a good
job; only 54% thought the UK
was performing well. Instead
of cynicism towards “doing a
The FM is a safe pair of hands
good day job”, the competence
being shown by the FM and her
team is a vote winner and will no
doubt make independence ever
more likely.
The strategy for the moment is
to let the Tories and Unionists
both in Scotland and England
“do our job for us”. Their clear
incompetence, ineptness, mixed
messaging and lack of strategic
direction ensure that the Scottish
voting public see that the only
way forward is independence
for our country.
The Tory-supporting press
and media with their attacks on
the FM, their massive negative
headlines, false news aided by
Mundell, Carlaw and Jack et al,
indicate desperation and them
losing the battle.
It’s not time for the SNP to
start aggressive independence
campaigning and thereby
alienating the Scottish public.
It’s not just SNP membership
and supporters we have to keep
on side, it’s about attracting a
further 10%-15% of the voting
public.
Also remember the SNP
membership and the faithful are
keeping their heads down during
this lockdown.
The “safe pair of hands”
approach by our FM and senior
advisors during this pandemic
has already delivered a poll
indicating the SNP to achieve an
outright majority (68 seats) in the
2021 Holyrood election. Our
Scottish electorate are astute
enough to understand and see
how and by whom our country
should be run.
Bide your time, do not be
overcome by frustration, be
critical of pundits. The time for
the real battle for independence
is after the coronavirus battle has
been won.
Dan Wood
Kirriemuir
 26 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020

TONIGHT’S
TV PICK
Richard & Judy: Keep Reading
and Carry On (C4, 5.30pm)
JAMIE Oliver has helped people keep
cooking, while Kirstie Allsopp has
offered advice on craft projects. Now
it’s the turn of Richard Madeley and
Judy Finnigan to take to early evening
TV with some suggestions on how to
keep occupied during the lockdown.
They won’t just be raiding their own
no doubt well-stocked bookshelves
though, as they also hear from
viewers, celebrity guests
and well-loved authors.

Isolation Stories (STV, 9pm)

ACTORS and behind-the-scenes crew
are largely sitting around twiddling their
thumbs but some have landed gainful
employment thanks to this new drama
created by Jeff Pope of Philomena and
Stan & Ollie fame. He’s commissioned
fellow writers to devise 15-minute
tales based on real events. A heavily
pregnant Sheridan Smith stars as Mel,
who is preparing to give birth alone.
Robert Glenister and his son Tom play
Ron and Russell, whose relationship
becomes strained during lockdown. In
Mike and Rochelle, Darren Boyd and

Isolation: Sheridan Smith

Angela Griffin take on the roles of a

hypochondriac and his psychiatrist.

Normal People (BBC1, 9pm)

AT a fundraising event at the club, one
of Connell’s friends, Karen, does her
best to show Marianne some kindness,
but Rachel behaves coldly towards
her, and the evening turns sour when
one of the boys’ older friends gropes
Marianne. Connell becomes anxious
when his friends tease him about
Marianne, suspecting they’ve guessed
about their relationship. He makes
an unexpected decision that hurts
Marianne and causes a rift between
him and his mother, Lorraine.

The Great British Intelligence

Test (BBC2, 9pm)
MATHEMATICIAN Hannah Fry and
doctor and broadcaster Michael
Mosley join an Imperial College
London experiment to assess
the brainpower of Britons, putting
members of the public to the test in a
battle of wits as they pit young and old,
males and females, and tech lovers
and readers against one other. The
results reveal new science about how
people’s intelligence changes
through their lives, while Hannah
and Michael examine groundbreaking
new science on how lifestyle
and love of technology is changing
the human brain.
The National/Monday, May 4, 2020 27

The recycled paper content of UK

newspapers in 2018 was 69.2%
28 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020

GIANT CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Seth __, US actor, comedian and 34 Persian (5) military (5,4) 102 Father (5)
writer (6) 35 Observes (4) 67 0-0 in sport (9) 104 Pacts (8)
5 Guilty emotion (5) 38 Charge with gas (6) 69 Rope loop (5) 107 Drink measure (3)
8 __ Williams, tennis star (6) 40 Stagnant (5) 71 Makes a formal request (7) 109 Smack (4)
10 Memento (8) 42 Vengeful justice (2,3,3,2,3) 74 Moving staircase (9) 111 Provides for (6)
14 Hunt (6) 44 __ Davis, six times World Snooker 77 Musical dramas (6) 112 Deadlock (9)
16 Sailing boat (5) Championship winner (5) 78 Disturbed (8) 114 Resilience (7)
21 Water (8) 46 Assets (10) 81 Fancy dress party (10) 117 Wordy (7)
22 Appearing (7) 48 Clerk (6) 82 One’s balance on a ship (3,4) 118 Popular word guessing game (8)
23 Spats (7) 51 Resort (7) 84 Posts (6) 119 Touchdowns in rugby (5)
25 Genuinely (9) 54 Limestone formation (10) 87 Uncovered fire (5,5) 120 __ van Outen, UK presenter (6)
26 David __, former Arsenal and 55 Ocean journeys (3,5) 90 Small fish (5) 121 Claudia __, German fashion
England goalkeeper (6) 59 Serene (6) 92 Festival hats (6,7) designer (8)
27 Capital of Italy (4) 60 Politically radical (9) 95 Stalks (5) 122 Catastrophe (6)
28 Group (3) 62 Alcoholic drink from 96 Fold (6) 123 Bill __, US business magnate (5)
29 Persistently troubled (8) Spain (7) 98 Male voice (4) 124 Vegetables (6)
32 Bet (5) 63 Mollusc (5) 100 Chairs (5)
33 Semiprecious stone (4) 64 Formerly, men recruiting for the 101 Scorch (4)

                 

 

     

         



         

         



       

          

       



          

           



       

     

DOWN
2 Part of the outer hearing organ (7) 30 Regret (3) 56 Bewildered (2,1,4) star (6)
3 Banish (5) 31 Biological group (7) 57 Throb (7) 91 Harvesters (7)
4 US city (7) 34 Sprites (4) 58 Bird home (4) 93 Staircase (5)
5 Oozes (5) 36 Stretch (3) 61 __ Paphitis, former Dragons’ Den 94 Biblical priest (3)
6 Dogs (9) 37 Mick __, Rolling Stones lead entrepreneur (4) 96 Cattle enclosures (7)
7 __ Wide Shut, starring Tom singer (6) 65 Stretches (7) 97 Thai (7)
Cruise and Nicole Kidman (4) 38 Commercials (3) 66 Exploding weapon (7) 98 Beauty and the __, 2017 Disney
8 Metalworker (5) 39 Creatures (7) 68 Pierces (5) film starring Emma Watson (5)
9 Harass (3) 40 Compress (7) 70 Avoid (5) 99 Dramatic platform (5)
11 First woman (3) 41 Delete (5) 72 Stuffed with soft material (6) 101 Container (5)
12 Age (3) 42 Defence (5) 73 Open grasslands (7) 103 Grow older (3)
13 Foreword (7) 43 Tests (5) 75 Form (5) 105 Spoil (4)
14 Straining device (5) 44 Sailors (9) 76 Green vegetables (5) 106 Rides waves (5)
15 Whichever (3) 45 Devour (3,2) 79 Golf peg (3) 108 Mexican dishes (5)
17 Collect (5) 47 Bitumen (3) 80 North Asian priests (7) 109 Rock (5)
18 Sides (5) 49 Purify (7) 83 Confectionery item (9) 110 Bjørn __, Swedish former
19 Bee colony (4) 50 Ugly sight (7) 85 Prosecute (3) tennis star (4)
20 Evil intent (6) 52 Show-off (9) 86 Fish (4) 112 Snow runner (3)
24 Frighten (5) 53 Military signal (7) 88 _ Lovelace, 19th-century 113 Donkey (3)
25 That woman (3) 54 Colombian singer who has two mathematician (3) 115 Dined (3)
26 Ski races (7) children with Gerard Pique (7) 89 Jodie __, Silence of the Lambs 116 Con __, 1997 Nicolas Cage film (3)
Giant Crossword PAGE 7 Calculate title
Knight's
Across: 1 Meyers, 5 Shame, 8 Serena, 10 Keepsake, 14 Search, 16 Yacht,
21 Irrigate, 22 Seeming, 23 Gaiters, 25 Sincerely, 26 Seaman, 27 Rome,
28 Set, 29 Harassed, 32 Wager, 33 Jade, 34 Irani, 35 Sees, 38 Aerate, plant
40 Stale, 42 An eye for an eye, 44 Steve, 46 Properties, 48 Scribe, flowering
Daisy-like
And not Enthralled
51 Seaside, 54 Stalagmite, 55 Sea trips, 59 Sedate, 60 Extremist, 62 Sangria,
63 Snail, 64 Press gang, 67 Scoreless, 69 Noose, 71 Applies, 74 Escalator,
77 Operas, 78 Restless, 81 Masquerade, 82 Sea legs, 84 Stakes, Dined Finish
87 Naked flame, 90 Sprat, 92 Easter bonnets, 95 Stems, 96 Crease, 98 Bass,
100 Seats, 101 Char, 102 Pater, 104 Treaties, 107 Tot, 109 Slap, 111 Caters,
112 Stalemate, 114 Stamina, 117 Verbose, 118 Charades, 119 Tries, bird
barrel
120 Denise, 121 Schiffer, 122 Crisis, 123 Gates, 124 Swedes. Ohio city
Beer
Zealand
New
Down: 2 Earlobe, 3 Exile, 4 Seattle, 5 Seeps, 6 Alsatians, 7 Eyes, 8 Smith,
9 Nag, 11 Eve, 12 Eon, 13 Preface, 14 Sieve, 15 Any, 17 Amass, 18 Teams,
19 Hive, 20 Malice, 24 Scare, 25 She, 26 Slaloms, 30 Rue, 31 Species, 34 Imps, proportion emperor
Geek
36 Eke, 37 Jagger, 38 Ads, 39 Animals, 40 Squeeze, 41 Erase, 42 Alibi, Pro _, in Roman
43 Exams, 44 Seafarers, 45 Eat up, 47 Tar, 49 Cleanse, 50 Eyesore,
52 Extrovert, 53 Fanfare, 54 Shakira, 56 At a loss, 57 Pulsate, 58 Nest, system
Detection (1,1,1,1)
61 Theo, 65 Strains, 66 Grenade, 68 Stabs, 70 Evade, 72 Padded, Of the ear country
73 Savanna, 75 Class, 76 Leeks, 79 Tee, 80 Shamans, 83 Sweetmeat, _, actor
Christian
Former
85 Sue, 86 Eels, 88 Ada, 89 Foster, 91 Reapers, 93 Steps, 94 Eli, 96 Corrals,
97 Siamese, 98 Beast, 99 Stage, 101 Crate, 103 Age, 105 Ruin, 106 Surfs, ation
Thieved public-
108 Tacos, 109 Slate, 110 Borg, 112 Ski, 113 Ass, 115 Ate, 116 Air. Regular
Codewords
1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Chief timers Employed Alcove singer
Oven Pictured
B I Z R F S G D C E A M N
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
P X W K O Q V Y J H L U T 13-19
Perish Age aged Poem
2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Person
F P W X V H I K U C S Q N
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Antelope decency home
O J Y A L B Z T E R M G D Charm, Bird's
Augment
Not home
3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
A Y V R T Z O N X M J L P Food list
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 (1,1,1) Bean curd hard
Country Mauled Steps on
S Q B C D G F W K I H E U
Arrowword tool
Garden Amazing
L G S O M S
Weakest
C E M E N T B L O O M
editing Tokyo current
A R A X I O M U stand" in name of
Colour singer In the past electrical Amphibian On top of
"Let it Former Beer Irish Unit of
A F F E C T P E S T
A I C E N E T
Remain
S T R E T C H S T A Y
A A A G O L A S
Settee
E X T R I A F E E B L E S T water
Frozen
organ
Hearing
Levy Elongate
Web
O N H M A A N D L E D E
S T A M O P S Y U O U T
Pain Series
O D E E E T N A G E R S
F N K O O E R H E A D
truth
airtight distance
L U L U E W N S P A P E R I Made
accepted
In the
Influence
An
O I T I C B A L E
S R U S N E R O O pictured
Orlando _,
K H E G A K R O N
W I K I E N D A T E Chop material
sash moving US actor Binding
N N O R A S T E R Vulgar time Kimono Not Richard _,
Period of Plant part
O G A G S I R A D D
SOLUTIONS ARROWWORD
I Z Z O Z
26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 Y 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 Y 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 Y
T X N I X B X
13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 W 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 W 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 W
V V V
U U U
T T T
S S S
R R R
Q Q Q
P P P
O O O
N N N
M M M
L L L
K K K
J J J
I I I
H H H
G G G
F F F
E E E
D D D
C C C
B B B
A A A
3 2 1
contains 8. Using your knowledge of words, complete the puzzle.
always representing the same letter. For example, if 8 turns out to be a V, you can write in V wherever a square CODEWORDS
This puzzle has no clues. Instead, every number printed in the grid represents a letter, with the same number
29 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
30 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020
PUZZLES SPECIAL
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD
Across
1. Surname of the British soldier
who led the Chindits against
the Japanese in Burma in
World War II (7)
4 & 1 D. The amiable man-about-
town in stories by PG
Wodehouse (6,7)
7. Name used to describe a whole
group of West Indian Islands,
divided into “Greater” and
“Lesser” (8)
8. Son of Noah who was the father
of Arphaxad (4)
9. See 16A
11. Surname of the English poet
and dramatist famous for
Tamburlaine, Dr Faustus, The
Jew of Malta, etc. (7)
12. Term used to designate Irish
Gaelic (4)
14. According to Matthew, Chapter
6: “Ye cannot serve – and
mammon” (3)
15. See 27A
16 & 9. Scottish explorer of the
course of the Niger (5,4)
19 & 22. Blacksmith brother-in-law of
“Pip” in Great Expectations (3,7)
21. Surname of the 6th wife of
Henry VIII, who later married
Lord Seymour of Sudeley (4)
22. See 19A
23. Very long but indefinite periods
of time (4)
25. Shallow garden basket made of
wood strips (4)
Notes
Madrid;
M
ANSWERS:
A
1976
Jake Arnott; Auckland;
WHO,
W WHAT, WHERE, WHEN
Jeeves.
J 20 Levant. 21 Python. 24 Seal.
1 Simeon. 17 Gravity. 18 Uruguay. 19
13
4 Baldwin. 5 Rasp. 6 Evoked. 10 Angola.
DOWN:
D 1 Wooster. 2 Gramme. 3 Tutors.
2 Stalky. 28 Stanley.
27
Gargery.
G 23 Eons. 25 Trug. 26 Epigraph.
A Co. 16 Mungo. 19 Joe. 21 Parr. 22
And
9 Park. 11 Marlowe. 12 Erse. 14 God. 15
1 Wingate. 4 Bertie. 7 Antilles. 8 Shem.
C
CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS – ACROSS:
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
G
Answers at the bottom of this page
26. An inscription carved on stone (8) 1 2 3 4 5 6
27 & 15A. Book of schoolboy life by
Rudyard Kipling (6,3,2)
28 & 4D. Conservative statesman who
succeeded Bonar Law in 1923 and
Ramsay Macdonald in 1924 and 7
1935 as Prime Minister (7,7)
DOWN 8 9 10
1. See 4A
2. Metric unit of mass (6) 11
3. University teachers who direct the
studies of undergraduates (6)
4. See 28A
12 13 14
5. A coarse file with separate teeth (4)
6. Called up memories, feelings (6) 15
10. African republic whose capital is
Luanda (6)
16 17 18
13. A man of Jerusalem who said of
Jesus “Behold, this child is set for
the fall and rising again of many in 19 20 21
Israel” (Luke, Chapter 2) (6)
17. The force which attracts matter to
22
the centre of the earth (7)
18. Second smallest of the South
American republics, whose 23 24 25
capital is Montevideo (7)
19. The resourceful valet of 4A& 1D (6) 26
20. Former name applied to the
coastal regions of Turkey-in-Asia,
Syria, Lebanon and Israel (6)
21. Tropical snake of the boa family,
which kills by constriction (6) 27 28
24. Piece of wax engraved with a
device and attached to a
document (4)
WHO...
wrote the crime novels The Long Firm,
He Kills Coppers and truecrime?
WHAT...
was the capital of New Zealand
before Wellington?
WHERE...
in Spain is the Museo del Prado art gallery?
WHEN...
did James Callaghan (left) become
UK Prime Minister?
Picture: PA Images
Answers at the bottom of this page
 ANSWERS TO THESE PUZZLES IN SATURDAYS EDITION The National/Monday, May 4, 2020 31

PREDICTIVE TEXT
Starting in the highlighted box, try to make a word
adding one word part from each layer as you go.
Then return to the second layer and use the letters
in the unused box to start another word and so
Crosswords Who?.... Why?.... How?....
When?.... Where?....
on, until you’ve used all the boxes and created six
CRYPTIC
words of decreasing length.
ACROSS 24 Loner cites trouble 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 Sacred Old during account (7)
INA Testament section 25 About time Pip got a
is something to horse (5)
believe in (5) DOWN 8 9
TH US
4 Post needing 1 I left broken biscuit
services of a for the modern
EN ER PI high-flyer (7) artist (6) 10 11 12 13
8 Bandit to equip, 2 I bet Hazel upset
entering group (7) another woman (9)
CI ID MOS THR 9 Animal wizard 3 Yes, a sanctimonious
14 15
Harry’s beheaded (5) creature (5)
10 Eva wise to 4 Count up in
AL OLA ORC OU TA 16 17
adjust marine paddock (3)
panorama (3,4) 5 South American 18 19 20
HAM HID LED SLY TIC TRY 12 Bail out with one diplomacy helps to
legal defence (5) keep the peace (4,3)
14 One traipsed off in 6 Silly not to start at
21 22 23
hopelessness (11) the stern (3)
GIVE US A SIGN 18 Chore mixing 7 Poet has settled,
pigment (5) accommodating two
Can you make these sums work, using three of the 19 Organise alternative kings (6) 24 25
four maths symbols (+, –, x, ÷) in each? No fractions or drink outside (4,3) 11 Electoral divisions in
numbers less than zero should be created along the way.
21 Lowest part entering hospital rooms (5)
1 3!8!6!2=15 China directly (5) 13 In rodeo, wild eleven 16 Firm near damaged 20 Gathers concerning a
23 European hand contained rust (4,5) eye part (6) footnote (5)
2 9!4!7!3=38 measurement is 15 Clown almost makes 17 Got to miss header, 22 Physician in paddock (3)
3 14!13!3!4=36 hard (7) mistake in mine (7) but scored (6) 23 Bisect part that is dry (3)

4 12!2!4!6=30
5 7!4!6!6=24 QUICK
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
ACROSS DOWN
ADD UP 1 Shoots from 2 Loud sound (5)
cover (6) 3 Level high
If the number in each circle is the sum of the two 8 9 5 Starting point (6) ground (7)
below it, how quickly can you figure out the top
8 Stabilising agent (8) 4 Salary (7)
number? Try this one in your head, before writing
9 Sound of a vehicle’s 5 Clean with a
anything down.
10 11 horn (4) broom (5)
10 Paltry (4) 6 Doorman (5)
11 Cross-border 7 Sanction (7)
goods vendor (8) 12 Ban on
12 13 14 12 At the mid commerce (7)
point (11) 13 Go beyond,
15 Spectator (8) exceed (7)
15 16 17 18 19 18 Soreness (4) 14 In a state of
20 Set at liberty (4) panic (7)
2 7 7 5 8 21 Pit (8) 16 Apply 
22 Clay worker (6) (pressure) (5)
20 21
23 Deject (6) 17 Church of England
minister (5)
19 Door fitment (5)
22 23
12 9 17 14 16

MINI FIT MOBILE CODE

Which one of the listed words won’t fit in each of these mini grids? If LAMB is 5262 on this phone keypad, which
young animals have the following numbers? 1 2 3
ABC DEF
APT DAY BROW AMEN
F 4 5 6
CAP DYE OBOE FARM 1 2253 4 744538 GHI JKL MNO
A E
COW SAY ROBE FEAR 2 3625 5 294638 7 8 9
O PQRS TUV WXYZ
LAP SEE WEED MART
OWL YES WORD MEAT 3 78779 * 0 #
32 The National/Monday, May 4, 2020

DOUBLE CROSSWORD WORD WHEEL

CRYPTIC CLUES
Across
1. The last letter in a 12. A doctor one foot off
hundred is metallic (4)
8. Warning of danger from 14. No rest for voices (6)
the watch? (7,3) 15. Gloomy as mild
9. Somehow go by mean
purse (5,3) 17. The lowest
10. Long intensely for a
tree (4)
18. Repair 1,000 to finish (4) You have 10 minutes to find as many words as
possible using the letters in the wheel. Each
19. Not tedious enough to must use the hub letter and at least 3 others.
weary everybody? (8) Letters may be used only once. You cannot use
21. Contents untouched by plurals, foreign words or proper nouns. There is
member of attack? (6,4) at least one 9-letter word to be found.
22. From there a street runs in
this direction (4)
E R
Down
T E
2. Enjoying fun early? (2,4,4)
3. Pointer to learner being
C
taken in by stimulus (4)
4. Fight doctor in cloak (6)
D I
5. The fathead should have E N
battled it out (6)
6. Hurry – or something How you rate:
will be squashed 20, average; 30, good;
underfoot! (4,2,2) 40, very good; 50 or more, excellent.
QUICK CLUES
7. Formerly 100 into 1 (4)
SPIRAL
Across Down
11. Prim young lass has close 1. Appear (4) 2. Dig (10)
shave (6,4) 8. Retort (6,4) 3. Lots (4)
Starting from 1, fill in the grid clockwise with
13. Arrange mini raid 9. Infancy (8) 4. On land (6) four-letter words. The last letter of each word
between take-off and 10. Orient (4) 5. Gathered (6) becomes the first letter of the next to reveal the
landing (2,3-3) 12. Dearth (6) 6. Watcher (8) seven-letter key word in the shaded boxes.
course (6) 14. Contrivance (6) 7. Burlesque (4)
16. Mail for the landlord? (6) 1 2 3
15. Concealed (6) 11. Series (10)
17. Bighead taking command 17. Long letter (6) 13. Poor (8) 9 10
change (6) at the frontier (6)
18. Cosy (4) 16. Figure (6)
14 15
18. Mother takes to the sea (4) 19. Unthinking (8) 17. Grammar (6)
Shakespearean 20. Location of something to 21. Neutralise (10) 18. Of that kind (4) 8 11 4
character? (6) be seen, we hear (4) 22. Worker (4) 20. Slat (4)
16

SUDOKU CODEWORD 13 12

Codeword is the crossword puzzle with no clues. The number in each square 7 6 5
corresponds to a letter. Work out the words in the grid using the letters provided.
 
 Fill in these known letters first, then use skill and judgement to work out the others.
Medium

1. Flat circular plate 9. Sleeps

1 14 2. Edible crustacean 10. Indian dress
    2 15
3.
4.
Hay bundle
Finishes
11.
12.
Skin irritation
Embraces

   3 16
5.
6.
Chair
Stumble
13.
14.
Cast off
Delicatessen, in
7. Baby carriage short
   4 17
8. Stay close to a 15. Unit of length
5 18
player 16. Hawaiian dance
      Keyword clue: Girl’s name
6 19

   7 20 Previous day’s solutions

   8 21
DOUBLE CROSSWORD:
Cryptic: Across:
21=W, 22=F, 23=Q,
24=T, 25=G, 26=U.
7 Houri; 8 Allowed;
    9 22
O
9 Repress; 10 Manse;
12 Charioteer;
NINER:
CALUMNIES
10 23
15 Apparently;
   11 24
18 Drips; 19 Risotto;
21 Magneto; 22 Croak.
Down: 1 Charge-
WORD SPIRAL: 1 Swim;
2 Moth; 3 Hard; 4 Door;
5 Reap; 6 Posh; 7 Hush;
hand; 2 Sumps; 8 Hell; 9 Link; 10 Kite;
12 25
3 Line; 4 Hawser; 11 Edit; 12 Ties; 13 Shut;
C 5 Plimsoll; 6 Swinger;
11 Earthworks;
14 Talc; 15 Crib;
16 Band.
13 26 13 Harassed; Keyword: Hundred.
  14 Springe; 16 Narrow;
17 Athos; 20 Sack.
Hard

Quick: Across:

    ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 7 Ether; 8 Learned;

9 Risible; 10 Tulip;
12 Undercover; SUDOKU
15 Automobile;
  18 Nylon; 19 Complex;
21 Startle; 22 Slant.



















    NINER Down: 1 Leprechaun;

2 Ghost; 3 Crib;
4 Fleece; 5 Nautical;



























6 Enslave;
  Each number from 1 to 9 represents a different letter. Solve the clues and insert         
11 Perplexity;         
the letters in the appropriate squares to discover a word which uses all nine 13 Nominate;
        
letters. 14 Stellar; 16 Bicker;
    THE CLUES
17 Bleak; 20 Mash. 


























3789 gives a bird; WORD WHEEL:
        
  1588764
1723689
gives birds;
gives birds.
PENNILESS.

CODEWORD: 1=H, 2=A,



















3=C, 4=N, 5=O, 6=R,         
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7=K, 8=D, 9=X, 10=E,
11=I, 12=J, 13=V, 14=Z,


















15=B, 16=P, 17=L,
  18=S, 19=Y, 20=M,



















FOR ALL TODAY’S BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.THENATIONAL.SCOT


Clubs can’t afford to cash
in on fans’ loyalty in crisis
T
HERE’S nothing quite
like a crisis to get
supporters rallying
around their football
club.
In the first game that
Rangers played after they
were put into administration
by then owner Craig Whyte
back in 2012, a crowd of 50,268
crammed into Ibrox to watch
their league game against
Kilmarnock.
The following season, after
Rangers found themselves
in the Third Division, huge
crowds flocked to their Govan
ground every other week to
cheer on their fallen heroes as
they took on part-time rivals
such as Annan Athletic, East
Stirlingshire and Montrose.
The 50,048 turnout for their
final match against Berwick
Rangers, after which Ally
McCoist’s men were presented
with the trophy, was a world
record attendance for a fourth-
tier match.
The quality of their
opponents clearly wasn’t the
lure. It was a burning desire
to support their team, both
financially and vocally, in their
hour of greatest need. Rangers’
followers are by no means
alone in that readiness to do
what is required for their club
to survive in troubled times.
When it emerged that
Clubs will
have to
indemnify
their fans
On this day
1780 The first Derby was run at
Epsom. The name of the race
was decided by a toss of a coin
between the 12th Earl of Derby
and Sir Charles Bunbury.
Bunbury had the consolation of
THE LAST WORD
Partick Thistle were on the
brink of bankruptcy in 1998,
the Firhill club was only kept
afloat by the fan-organised
Save the Jags campaign.
There have been many, many
more examples, both in this
country and further afield, over
the years.
So if the coronavirus crisis
does drive some of our most
famous football establishments
to the verge of insolvency –
and SFA vice-president Mike
Mulraney yesterday stated
on Sportsound on BBC Radio
Scotland that it would be
“foolhardy” not to expect some
of them to encounter serious
difficulties – they can be
assured their supporters
will respond.
We are, though, very
much entering uncharted
territory. The world is
currently experiencing the
first global pandemic in over
a century. There is no telling
what society, never mind the
beautiful game, will look like
on the other side of it. But it is
safe to say life will be an awful
lot different for the majority of
the population.
The International Monetary
Fund last month warned
Covid-19 will lead to an
economic slump far worse than
the recession which followed
the collapse of the housing
market in 2008 and predicted
that it could even rival the
Great Depression of the 1930s.
Millions are certain to lose
their jobs. So even if the sort of
diehards who would ordinarily
snap up replica strips, club
merchandise and match-day
tickets before feeding and
clothing themselves want to do
their bit to prevent their clubs
going to the wall, they may be
unable to.
The stark new reality should
result in those Scottish clubs
who have put season books on
sale experiencing a decline in
uptake in the coming weeks.
That could have far-reaching
consequences going forward.
seeing his horse, Diomed, with
jockey Sam Arnull, win the race.
1966 Peter Shilton made his
Football League debut, playing
for Leicester against Everton.
The goalkeeper went on to
play in a record 1,005 league
games and won a record 125
England caps.
A stop sign outside Ibrox Stadium, home of Rangers
MATTHEW
LINDSAY
2003 Manchester United won
their eighth Premiership title in
11 seasons after Arsenal fell
out of contention following a
3-2 defeat by Leeds.
2005: Chelsea manager Jose
Mourinho signed a new
five-year contract at the club.
2006 Steve McClaren was
Sport/Monday, May 4, 2020
But so, too, could the very fact
they have made them available
for purchase in the first place.
Roy MacGregor, the
internationally-successful
businessman and Ross County
owner, has declined to go down
that route because he feels he
will be unable to guarantee
spectators entry to the Global
Energy Stadium in the
2020/21 campaign because of
social distancing restrictions.
“It’s impossible,” he said
last week. “It’s not fair to my
supporters. I know some clubs
have started to do it. But they
are very nervous now.”
MacGregor only has 3,000
regulars at his Dingwall
ground and has the personal
wherewithal to offset the
losses. But he is a canny
operator and his counterparts
should take note of his words
of caution. They could be left
facing a costly quandary when
play restarts. Particularly if,
as looks inevitable, matches
have to take place behind
closed doors.
Is offering fans free online
access to matches they
would otherwise be at in the
confirmed as Sven-Goran
Eriksson’s successor as
England manager.
2007 Leeds’ relegation to
League One was confirmed
when they went into
administration and therefore
incurred a 10-point penalty.
2009 John Higgins won
33
flesh going to be adequate
compensation? For many, it
undoubtedly will be. They
understand the repercussions
of depriving their clubs much-
needed cash.
Yet, as James Bisgrove,
Rangers’ new commercial
and marketing director,
admitted during a Zoom media
conference on Friday, it won’t
be the same experience as
being in the Copland Road
Stand celebrating a Joe Aribo
strike with thousands of
kindred spirits and reparations
may need to be made.
“The virtual season ticket
has been discussed across
Europe and supporters will
have their own view about
whether that is an equivalent
to being in the stadium,” said
Bisgrove. “Of course, it’s not.
So we’ll have to take a view
if that will be a comparable
product or if we’ll need to
do something in addition to
that. We will engage with our
support if these hypotheticals
come about.”
All clubs will have to
consider ways to indemnify
their customers satisfactorily.
Otherwise, they risk angering
and alienating them. Liverpool,
who have suspended their
season ticket renewals for the
reasons MacGregor outlined,
will offer their fans a full
refund if the current Premier
League season is completed
in empty stadiums or is
terminated. That is the kind
of meaningful gesture that is
required to keep supporters
onside.
It is understandable that so
many Ladbrokes Premiership
clubs are selling season
tickets as normal. Their very
existence, even with wage cuts
and pay deferrals, depends
on it in many cases. But they
must be careful not to take
their fan base’s loyalty for
granted in these troubled and
unprecedented times. If they
do, they will pay a high cost in
the long run.
snooker’s World
Championship for the third
time, defeating Shaun Murphy
18-9 in the final at the Crucible
in Sheffield.
2014 Former British tennis
number one Elena Baltacha
died after a battle against liver
cancer. She was 30.
 34 Sport/Monday, May 4, 2020
Chalmers works behind scenes as EIHL plan special start to season
Life on ice
Glasgow Clan
learning to cope
with big freeze
EXCLUSIVE
GRAEME
MACPHERSON
M
AY is normally a
busy month be-
hind the scenes for
Gareth Chalmers
and the ongoing uncertainty
around sport hasn’t changed
that a huge amount.
The start of British ice hock-
ey’s off-season is traditionally a
time for forward planning and,
with the new Elite Ice Hockey
League (EIHL) campaign provi-
sionally set to start in October,
Glasgow Clan’s chief operating
officer has been putting plans
in place to ensure he and the
team are ready for when that
weekend rolls around.
As well as looking to sign
players, Chalmers is also
midway through the process
of recruiting a new head coach
following Zack Fitzgerald’s
departure last month.
The logistics of that are
naturally more complicated
with travel off the agenda
for the foreseeable future but
Chalmers revealed the Brae-
head-based outfit are making
solid progress on both fronts.
“We’re still working away
busy as ever as we would in any
off-season,” he said. “It might
look as if it’s all quiet but it’s still
pretty manic behind the scenes.
“Obviously there are lots of
different variables to get our
heads around this year but
you just have to plan on the
assumption that the league
will return in October.
“Agents are still sending play-
ers around and we’re still active
on that front looking to recruit.
Our main aim at the moment
is trying to finalise the appoint-
ment of a new head coach.
“We’ve had more than 30
applications already and we
know what we want. We’ve
got feelers out on a couple of
targets and we hope to have
answers relatively soon. The
process has been delayed a bit
by the changing world around
ICE HOCKEY
us but the sooner we can get
someone in the sooner we can
start to finalise our team.”
The outbreak of the coronavi-
rus meant last season finished
prematurely, with the league
declared null and void and the
end-of-season play-offs also
cancelled.
The EIHL have now come
up with an alternative and
inventive plan to begin the
new season in similar fashion,
bringing all 10 clubs together
in Nottingham for what’s been
dubbed a “Magic 5” weekend of
derby matches.
“It’s helpful that we’ve got
a start date to work towards,”
added Chalmers. “It’s been
moved back a month but it
gives everyone in the league a
focus for planning ahead.
“The play-off finals are
imperative for the operation
of the league as it provides
so much revenue so we’ve
replaced it with the Magic 5.
It’s something we had actually
been talking about for a while
and this is a great time to
introduce it.
Glasgow Clan, who play at
Braehead, are readying for the
new season in October under
chief Gareth Chalmers (below)
“If it goes ahead it will be
like a celebration of having
hockey back. And it could
become a permanent fixture in
the calendar if it all works out.
“The world around us is going
to change so much and it’s
going to be about the survival of
the fittest. Organisations that
can adapt to these circumstanc-
es and think outside the box
will be the ones that survive.”
Like everyone else, the Clan
have been impacted finan-
cially by the cancellation of
late-season home games and
the play-offs. They have looked
to mitigate a loss of between
£100,000 and £150,000 by
placing members of staff on
furlough and Chalmers admits
the timing has been fortunate
in some ways.
“It’s been a really tough time
for every sports organisation,
catastrophic in a way,” he
added. “But luckily for us it
came towards the end of our
season. If it had happened
last October or November,
it could have been devas-
tating for the club.
“We’ve been able to
adapt and if we can
get through the
summer – and
we’re quite posi-
tive about that –
then we can start
breathing a little
bit easier. We’ve
got good owner-
ship who back
us which is a big
help.”
Their loyal
fanbase are do-
ing their bit, too.
Regular Saturday
night broadcasts
of classic matches have kept
supporters entertained, while
50:50 draws and other online
competitions have also kept
revenue streams flowing.
“Engagement with fans is very
important,” added Chalmers.
“The season obviously finished
prematurely but people still want
to see hockey so the live streams
of old games help on that front.
“It’s important to keep in
touch with your fanbase and
ours have been great in sup-
porting us and helping bring
some money into the club.
“We’re hoping to launch
season tickets pretty soon on
the basis that we’re starting in
October. We understand it’s a
difficult time for many people
with money so we won’t start
taking payments until Sep-
tember. And at that point we
will know if we can fulfil what
we’re setting out to do.”
Playing behind closed doors
is a non-starter for a sport so
heavily reliant on ticket sales.
Chalmers hopes the Clan will
be back playing in front of full
houses later in the year
but knows it may take
some time before live sport
returns to normal.
“Some people think
interest in bigger audience
live sports might dwin-
dle for a period of
time once it comes
back because of
the uncertainty,”
he added.
“But I believe
that when we
come out of this
situation people
are going to
be desperate to
see sport and be
entertained again.
We just have to
make sure it’s
safe for everyone to
do so.”

Beaumont lends support to
two-month Nations Cup idea
Plans for
Six Nations
promotion
and relegation
TREVOR BAILEY
N
EWLY re-elected
World Rugby
chairman Sir Bill
Beaumont has
revealed plans for a new global
tournament which could lead
to two consecutive months of
international action.
Beaumont is keen to
resurrect plans for an annual
competition, possibly with
promotion and relegation,
which were dropped last year,
but stressed the Guinness Six
Nations would not be expected
to change dates or format.
The former England captain’s
challenger and former vice-
chairman, Agustin Pichot,
was the key driver of the
Nations Championship idea
but Beaumont has promised to
carry it on.
Outside the Six Nations and
the southern hemisphere’s four-
team Rugby Championship,
which is due to take place in
August and September this
year, a 2017 agreement ensures
dates in July and November are
set aside for internationals.
Beaumont, who has handed
a second four-year term on
Saturday, said: “I think there
could well be an appetite
for putting the two windows
together. It could be north
going south in one month and
then immediately afterwards
the south would come north the
next month.
Froome doubts Tour de France crowd control
CYCLING
HAYLEY MILNE
CHRIS FROOME believes the
Tour de France can work with-
out spectators – but questioned
how organisers can prevent
large crowds converging along
the course.
Initially due to start on June
27, the coronavirus pandemic
RUGBY UNION
Sir Bill Beaumont was re-elected as chairman of World Rugby despite opposition from southern sides
“But bear in mind we have to
take all stakeholders with us.
You have to take the club game
and European game with us.”
Beaumont revealed
“embryonic” talks had begun
with representatives from both
hemispheres as well as the
International Rugby Players
union.
“What we will try to do is
bring in a new competition
that keeps the Six Nations a
standalone competition but
there could well be an instance
that in the Nations Cup, maybe
not all the Six Nations teams
are playing at the top level,”
he said.
“Sitting below that you could
have a subsidiary competition
has seen the Tour pushed back
until August 29 and doubts re-
main given the differing Cov-
id-19 situations across the world.
The French government says
no mass gatherings can take
place before September, but
have clarified the Tour could
still go ahead on its new dates
if the opening stages are man-
aged correctly.
That is one of the main things
We have to
find funds
that will
enable this
four-time champion Froome be-
lieves will be hard to manage
as he continues to prepare for a
tilt at another victory.
“For sure we can put the race
on without people standing on
the roads and fans in that sense,”
the Team Ineos rider said.
“I mean, we can put on the
race and it can be broadcast
on television. You’re not going
to get the same scenes as you
Sport/Monday, May 4, 2020
featuring emerging nations and
you could well have promotion
and relegation. We have to find
funding that will enable this
emerging nations tournament
to take place.”
The 68-year-old added: “I do
think there’s an appetite from
the Six Nations to look at the
Nations Cup. Nobody has ever
mentioned to me that the Six
Nations would move timescale
but in my opinion what would
move is July and November.
“Why would you move the
Six Nations? It is not affecting
anyone else’s window on the
global calendar. It’s a six-week
tournament that has been
played in February/March time
since I was a lad.”
would get going through these
tunnels of just people every-
where and all the rest of it.
“Maybe that’s the version of
race we need to see this year.
“In theory, we can put the
race on but I think the bigger
question is would the organis-
ers be able to keep people from
actually coming out and gath-
ering in large crowds? I think
that’s the bigger question.”
35
Beaumont revealed
independent governance review
would be chaired by British
an
Olympic Association chairman
and former sports minister Sir
Hugh Robertson, with one of the
issues being proposals to alter
international eligibility rules.
“It would allow players who
might have played in a sevens
tournament or might have
played an odd game for a tier-
one nation, to go back,” he said.
“I just think it gives the
opportunity to make some
countries who are limited in
their player resource.
“You also have to think that
the grandparent rule, which
applies to a lot of Pacific Island
players who might not have been
born on the island but look upon
themselves as Tongans, Samoans
or Fijians. As that runs out then
it could well be that they find
they are losing players.”
The election exposed a north-
south divide with Australia,
New Zealand, South Africa and
Argentina all backing Pichot.
Beaumont said: “Whatever
happens in life, not everybody
is going to agree with you.
The question is to try and
reach a consensus. I’d like to
think throughout my rugby
administration, I have been
able to reach a consensus.”
Beaumont claimed there was
no reason why the coronavirus
pandemic should derail plans
for a global women’s competition
and pledged to put player welfare
at the heart of every decision.
He said: “When I look at
the size of players nowadays,
there is precious little room for
smaller, skilful players.
“We still have to have a game
that is played in 98 per cent of
all the world by people at the
weekend who want to enjoy the
game of rugby. We can’t just
make it that it’s the domain for
huge players.”
Former champion Chris Froome
36 Sport/Monday, May 4, 2020
FIND THE WRIGHT CANDIDATE
Saints search
for Northern
Irishman’s
replacement
JAMES CAIRNEY
O
N Saturday, St
Johnstone fans
said goodbye to a
club legend as
Tommy Wright
left the Perth
club after a largely successful
seven years at the helm.
The Northern Irishman’s
tenure will primarily be
remembered for his side’s
Scottish Cup win in 2014 –
the first major trophy in the
Saints’ history – but the four
top-six finishes perhaps pay a
greater testament to the scale
of Wright’s achievements.
Whoever replaces the
56-year-old in the McDiarmid
Park dugout certainly faces
a daunting task, particularly
when Wright’s side had a well-
earned reputation for punching
above their weight. But to do
so amid the ongoing financial
uncertainty in Scottish football
caused by the Covid-19 pan-
demic represents an unenvi-
able challenge.
While Wright’s decision to
leave the club caught a few
off-guard, it was perhaps
inevitable. Chairman Steve
Brown has taken a back seat
in the day-to-day running of
the club after Kirsten Robert-
son, formerly chief executive at
Kilmarnock, was hired in
November as head of football
operations.
Wright’s relationship with
the club board became increas-
ingly strained, with the Saints
boss left frustrated at the lack
of signings made in the Janu-
ary transfer window.
“I have lost out on players
because we are not in a posi-
tion at this moment in time
Manager exit a bolt from the blue for skipper Kerr
ST JOHNSTONE captain
Jason Kerr insists Tommy
Wright’s decision to quit as
manager came right out of the
blue.
Wright stood down from the
McDiarmid Park dugout on
Saturday following seven suc-
cessful years at the helm.
The Northern Irishman’s de-
cision to go public with his frus-
trations concerning the Janu-
Tommy Wright, inset, quit as manager of St Johnstone, who are now searching for his replacement
to make offers,” he said. “The
hope seems to be that I’ll keep
pulling rabbits out of the hat
in the last week of the window.
But I know one thing, I’m not
taking responsibility for this
transfer window.”
A couple of weeks later,
Wright downplayed his com-
ments, insisting that Brown
doesn’t get the credit that he
deserves and that there was no
divide between himself and the
club’s board. But the situation
would suggest that Wright’s
successor, whoever that may
be, could find player recruit-
ment challenging.
But perhaps the bigger task
will be simply retaining the
better players on the books
ary transfer market are said
to have sown the seeds for the
departure of the 2014 Scottish
Cup-winning manager.
At the time, Wright said: “I
feel as though a lot of the foot-
ball decisions are being taken
away from me.”
On the pitch, defender Kerr
had watched Wright bring the
average age of the team down
and that policy had paid off
FOOTBALL
I think our
wage bill is
the sixth in
the league
following the turn of the year,
with Saints moving clear of the
Premiership relegation zone.
And despite Wright having
a strained relationship with
chairman Steve Brown, Kerr
admits he was still taken aback
by his exit.
Kerr, speaking to Sky Sports,
said: “I don’t know if I saw it
coming but obviously the gaffer
was trying to change the set-up
at the Perth club. Speaking
in February, Brown revealed
his dismay at the size of the
club’s wage bill, arguing that
the club were not living within
their means.
“I think our wage bill is the
sixth in the league, which is far
too high. We can’t sustain that,”
Brown admitted.
The decision from Saints to
sell out McDiarmid Park to
Celtic and Rangers fans will go
some way to mitigating these
losses, but the Premiership
club will be determined to
hold on to their prize assets, of
which there are a fair few.
Wright leaves behind a core
of impressive youngsters at the
club. Midfielder Ali McCann is
of the club, he was always try-
ing to get the younger players
in and trying to mould a new
team together.
“That was good that he could
do that.
“This season it’s kind of been
a rocky season but it’s testa-
ment to the manager that he
could turn it around as he did.
“But, no, I couldn’t say that I
saw it coming at all.”
probably the most exciting of
these, having enjoyed a superb
debut campaign in the top
flight, but there are others, too:
club captain Jason Kerr contin-
ues to show great promise in
defence, January recruit Jamie
McCart is a savvy addition, and
Callum Hendry, son of former
Scotland captain Colin, is a tal-
ented young forward who will
surely be getting more minutes
whenever football resumes.
The challenge for the new
manager will be to retain the
services of these youngsters
and to attempt to build a team
around this impressive spine.
Inverness right-back Shaun
Rooney will arrive in the sum-
mer having agreed a pre-con-
tract, and is another who is
tipped to make the step up
from the Championship to the
top flight with ease.
Former St Johnstone de-
fender and assistant manager
Callum Davidson is the early
favourite for the job, according
to the bookies, while another
ex-player, Dave Mackay, is
seen by some as an obvious
choice having previously
coached the Perth club’s
under-20s side. More left-field
suggestions include Gary
Caldwell, Barry Ferguson and
Steve Lomas, while Cleland’s
name is also believed to be in
the mix. But of all the names
being linked with the vacancy
at McDiarmid Park, Caley
Thistle manager John Robert-
son is arguably the best fit.
The former Hearts manager
has a track record of getting
his sides to punch above their
weight financially and has
a good record of developing
young players.
Whether or not Robertson
could be tempted to leave
Inverness is another matter
entirely, as the Championship
runners-up could find them-
selves in the Premiership next
season should league recon-
struction go ahead. But, on
paper at least, he looks like a
smart choice – if Saints can af-
ford the compensation package
that is.
St Johnstone captain Jason Kerr

Ibrox experience gives
Naismith Hearts insight
ALAN TEMPLE
S
TEVEN
NAISMITH is
adamant enduring
financial meltdown
with Rangers
afforded him an
insight into what his Hearts
team-mates were going
through as they wrestled with
cost-cutting proposals.
Ann Budge has taken a no-
nonsense approach to slashing
salaries at Tynecastle amid
the coronavirus crisis, telling
all players in March that they
would need to take a 50-per-
cent cut in order to save cash.
That was subsequently
reduced to between 10 and 30
per cent, largely due to the
Tynecastle club being able
to take advantage of the UK
government’s job retention
scheme, but the dressing room
were still pushing for wage
deferrals rather cuts.
However, Budge, who was
willing to use the controversial
clause-12 to suspend contracts
of any remaining rebels,
won that war last week
when the squad agreed to
the measures.
And club captain Naismith,
who left Ibrox in the summer
of 2012 following Rangers’
collapse, says Hearts players
were keen to help the club in
any way they could – but had
to consider their own futures
in the process.
“I understand from when I
was at Rangers, some of the
young boys – or guys on not a
lot of money – wouldn’t be able
to just chop their wages,” said
Naismith.
“The dressing room is full
of good guys who want to help
and make a contribution if
they can.
“But they need to be sensible
and consider themselves.
McArthur grateful for ‘every single penny’
IAIN COLLIN
DUNFERMLINE chairman
Ross McArthur insists every
single penny of the money
raised by fans will be inval-
uable in the club’s battle to
come through the coronavirus
pandemic in the “best possible
shape”.
The “Support the Pars”
initiative organised in the
FOOTBALL
Hearts captain Steven Naismith says players deserved chance to consider impact on themselves
I understand
from when
I was at
Rangers
wake of the football shutdown
in March has now reached its
revised £50,000 target, just six
weeks after it was launched.
McArthur admits there re-
main “huge challenges” in front
of the Fifers as Scottish football
attempts to find a way of re-
turning to action next season.
However, the East End Park
chief has hailed the way the
supporters have rallied round
“As you go down the leagues,
footballers don’t earn fortunes
and their jobs last until their
mid-30s, 40 at best.”
Naismith, conversely, was
the first player to sign up for
a pay cut and took the full 50
per cent hit.
However, the Scotland
striker insists his prudent
lifestyle has afforded him
that leeway, while also
allowing him to remain
grounded.
“I have tried to be sensible
throughout my career,” said
Naismith.
“I was fortunate I didn’t
move away until I was 25,
the club, just seven years on
from saving their favourites
from administration. He said:
“As I have said continually over
the last few weeks, I am genu-
inely humbled by the unbeliev-
able efforts that our supporters
will go to in support of our club.
“Every single penny raised
will be invaluable to us, as we
try to navigate our way out of
this unprecedented situation.”
Sport/Monday, May 4, 2020
I grew up with my family
and my wife’s family, all my
friends about me.
“It gave me a right good
grounding to make me
understand what it is for
people going out and doing a
really hard graft for relatively
low pay.
“My lifestyle from when I
was at Kilmarnock hasn’t
drastically changed.
“I’ve bought nice things and
stay in a bigger house and go
on nicer holidays.
“But when I was at Rangers,
Everton and Norwich, I saved
90 per cent of my wages every
month.”
Chairman Ross McArthur
37
Juventus star Ronaldo
Serie A
clubs set
to return
to training
STEVE NAILOR
SERIE A clubs are set to
return to training grounds
this week after getting the
go-ahead from the Italian
Government.
Prime Minister Giuseppe
Conte’s plans to ease
lockdown restrictions had
initially made provisions for
individual athletes to
resume work today, with
team sports scheduled to
follow suit on May 18.
There were reports that
the disparity of that
approach was being
challenged by some
regional assemblies and the
prospect of some top-flight
clubs resuming while others
remained banned from
doing so has seemingly
forced a change of heart.
There is no certainty that
the Serie A season will
resume, with Juventus top
of the paused table just a
point ahead of Lazio.
Meanwhile, Gary Neville
has criticised the Premier
League and its clubs for
failing to make the case for
a return to action.
The former Manchester
United defender accused
them of being “frightened to
death” to publicly back
plans to restart the season.
Premier League clubs met
on Friday to reaffirm their
commitment to resuming
the campaign and are
understood to have
earmarked June 8 as a
best-case scenario to
return. But Neville wrote on
Twitter: “[The Premier
League] keep spouting
‘health first’ but then brief
constantly ‘We have to
restart’.
“I’d respect them more if
they said, ‘We accept the
increase in health risk but
it’s one we are willing to
take”. They won’t as they
are frightened to death!”
38 Sport/Monday, May 4, 2020
CUT OUT THE
WHITE NOISE
SFA vice-president calls for
calm between clubs and
governing bodies as disputes
detract from real issues
MATTHEW
LINDSAY
S
FA vice-president
Mike Mulraney
has called for unity
between SPFL
clubs rather than
the in-fighting
which has been rife in recent
weeks – and insisted
safeguarding the future of
Scottish football amid the
worldwide coronavirus crisis
is of far greater importance.
Rangers, who are pushing for
an independent investigation
into the resolution on the end
of the season, are set to share
their “dossier of evidence” with
the other 41 SPFL clubs this
week.
They insist they have proof
of “bullying and coercion”
in the build-up to the
controversial vote and hope
to convince enough of their
counterparts to back their
demand for an external inquiry
at an extraordinary general
meeting next week.
Mulraney admitted that
“robust lobbying” took place
on “both sides of the debate”
before the SPFL board were
given a mandate to end the
Ladbrokes Championship,
League One and League Two
and the Premiership at a later
date.
However, the chairman of
second-tier Alloa Athletic
believes that dealing with the
repercussions of the Covid-19
outbreak and securing the
long-term future of the
Scottish game is a far greater
concern at the moment.
Speaking on Sportsound
on BBC Radio Scotland
yesterday afternoon, he said:
“I understand that people are
exercised by the happenings
of what goes on. It is an
imperfect world and when
people are trying to react at
pace there are frustrations
on all sides, there are harsh
words spoken on all sides.
“But in the context of what
our game is facing it’s white
noise. I am paying attention
to it because of course it’s
important in the context of
that event. But in the context
of what Scottish football is
facing it’s kind of white noise.
“It’s like me and another
four baldy guys fighting over
a comb. It’s not really going to
impact on the long-term future
of Scottish football.
“I believe the SFA and
everyone has a responsibility
to make sure when my wee
boy, who is six years old,
is 16 he has a game he can
meaningfully take part in.
“So, yeah, I understand how
important it feels to those
who are at the centre of it, but
in the grand scheme of what
Scottish football is facing,
society is facing, it is not
important.”
Mulraney admitted he will
look over the material that
Rangers intend to present
to SPFL member clubs this
week before deciding to vote
in favour of or against an
I understand
how important
it feels to those
at the centre of it
FOOTBALL
independent investigation into
the vote at the general meeting
a week tomorrow.
However, he stressed he had
seen no evidence of improper
conduct by chief executive Neil
Doncaster and legal adviser
Rod McKenzie, who Rangers
have demanded are suspended,
or board members.
Asked if lobbying had taken
place in the build up to the
vote, Mulraney said: “There
are 41 other clubs. Absolutely.
Of course. As [Hamilton vice-
chairman and SPFL board
SFA vice-president Mike
Mulraney, right, with president
Rod Petrie and chief executive
Ian Maxwell, left
member] Les Gray [inset, right]
said a couple of weeks ago, he
was one of the guys doing the
lobbying. Everybody lobbies.
“There were some robust
discussions took place on all
sides of the argument. Do I feel
I was bullied? I am a bit big
and long in the tooth to feel
bullied by anybody. Did I see
anybody else being bullied?
No. Did I see some robust
discussions on both sides of
the debate? Absolutely. So
there should be in such a big
decision.
“If people were getting upset
by it that’s understandable.
Did I see anything coming
from the SPFL executive?
Nothing. But it doesn’t mean
to say it didn’t happen. I can
only tell you what I saw.
“Any club who are upset
as Rangers are have an
entitlement to express their
frustration and their anger.
That is what being a members’
organisation is all about. We
have got to listen to each other.
I don’t know what it is they feel
the SPFL executive have done
wrong. I will pay the attention
to the release of information
and make a decision.”
Mulraney continued: “We
need to get the current wound
in Scottish football cauterised.
When you have an open wound
within a small pool of members
it is unhelpful to resolving
the huge problem we have.
However, until you can get that
dealt with you can’t move on.
That will be part of what we
have to deal with in the next
week, month.
“Is it important to those who
feel distressed by the decision
and the circumstances of that
decision? Yes it is. Should we
respect those people’s rights
to be upset? We should respect
everyone’s right to be upset.”
Mulraney, a former SPFL

board member, admitted
aspects of the vote on the
resolution had been badly
dealt with, but stated that
working to ensure every senior
club survives the pandemic
and football shutdown is of
greater significance.
“The SPFL themselves
have said they wished
they had handled
one or two things
differently,” he
said. “Everyone
does after
something
like that. The
overwhleming
majority of members
voted in a fashion that
got an answer.
“To be honest, from my point
of view, whether they called
it then or called it two weeks
later, inevitably it was going to
be called. That was an almost
inevitable happening. Nobody
is going to go through this
period of time without looking
back and going ‘I wish I’d done
FOOTBALL
something differently’. And
that’s everybody.
“I don’t think anybody on
either side of this current
argument is trying to do a
bad thing, they are doing it
because they are frustrated
or they are pressured in to
trying to make the
correct decision. And
all decisions have
two sides. You
will always have
people who will
have different
views on every
decision in football.
“Have any
catastrophic mistakes
been made? Not to my
knowledge. We will see what
unfolds in the next week.
“In the context of the tragedy
facing our country and football.
It is a tsunami coming our
way. In that context, it is a
bit white noise. I am more
concerned with making sure
there is 42 senior football clubs
when we come through.”
‘Foolhardy to
think all top-
flight clubs
will survive’
MATTHEW LINDSAY
SFA vice-president Mike
Mulraney believes it would
be “foolhardy” to dismiss
the chances of any of
Scotland’s major clubs
going out of business due
to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mulraney, who is also the
chairman of Ladbrokes
Championship club Alloa
Athletic, admitted he had
budgeted for the worst-
case scenario of playing
the entire 2020/21 season
behind closed doors.
And the businessman
believes many top-flight
clubs are going to be faced
with huge problems in the
months ahead due to the
devastating financial
impact of the coronavirus
crisis and football
shutdown.
“We always believed the
smaller clubs were going to
be impacted first and that
proved to be the case,” he
said. “But we also believed
the medium to long-term
impact of it was going to be
larger
“From an Alloa point of
view, our crowd is critically
important to us, but our
whole business model
allows us to change
quickly. It is the same for
many part-time clubs. But
the full-time clubs, with
their structure and the way
their contracts are set up,
are going to be presented
with problems which are
very, very significant.
“Although it is not one
answer fits all, some of our
larger clubs are going to
face some real, real
searching questions over
the coming months.”
Asked about the
possibility of clubs going
out of business on
Sportsound on BBC Radio
Scotland, Mulraney said: “I
think to not believe that that
is a possibility is foolhardy.
“However, I believe that
the SFA and SPFL have a
responsibility to look at all
eventualities to defend and
protect our game. We are
working incredibly hard
and have been for weeks to
make sure when we come
through this we have a
game.
“But do I think that there
is a realistic chance of us
losing clubs at all levels of
Scottish football? Anyone
who does not believe that
is foolhardy.”
Sport/Monday, May 4, 2020
Mental health
podcast keeps
Snodgrass busy
JAMES CAIRNEY
LIKE many footballers, West
Ham midfielder Robert
Snodgrass has found himself
with a fair amount of spare
time on his hands of late.
But rather than letting the
days slip away, the former
Scotland internationalist has
teamed up with Kris Boyd to
create a podcast where players
discuss their mental health.
Liverpool’s Andy Robert-
son and Chelsea legend John
Terry are among those to have
appeared on The Lockdown
Tactics, where Snodgrass and
Boyd – from their own homes
– interview guests on their
experiences of mental health
in football.
Speaking on BBC Sport-
sound, Snodgrass said that
it was Boyd’s idea to launch
the podcast, and that this was
fuelled in part by the former
Rangers striker’s own experi-
ences after his younger broth-
er, Scott, took his own life at
the age of 27.
“The idea came about
through Boydy,” Snodgrass
said. “It’s something that’s
close to me. I’ve had a few peo-
ple suffer with it and they have
lost their lives from it as well.
“It’s not a great situation
right now for anyone. I don’t
think anybody has given you
a script with how to deal with
lockdown. It’s really difficult
and it’s difficult for everybody
involved.
“Whether it’s jobs or fam-
ilies, or homeschooling or
being stuck in flats, or being
homeless, we want to help in
any way by raising money for
charities and trying to push
the message out there.
“Back in the day when I was
growing up it was probably
seen as a weakness if you had
came out and said you’re strug-
gling with your mental health.
“The biggest thing for me is
tying up with Kris. It means
a hell of a lot to him. He lost
his brother to it and everybody
that has come on is trying to
share stories. Everybody wants
to see a success story but to
be successful you need to talk
about the pain that got you
there.”
Snodgrass was keen to point
out that footballers often lead
stressful lives that aren’t
always conducive to a healthy
state of mind.
39
West Ham winger Snodgrass
has teamed up with Kris Boyd
Attention from the media
– and on social media – can
exacerbate a player’s mental
health, he said, as can re-
covering from serious injury.
Snodgrass hopes that by
having high-profile guests on
to discuss these things in a
candid manner, others will
then feel more relaxed about
opening up to their friends and
loved ones.
“We had John Terry on and
he has raised £300,000 for the
NHS and Make A Wish,” Snod-
grass continued. “We had Jack
Wilshire and Leon McKenzie
talking about injuries and that
side of the game, where there
isn’t a recipe for recovery.
“No-one can say to you ‘do
this and it will work’. It’s
almost like throwing a coin in
the air and saying, ‘heads or
tails, am I going to come back
to the same level that I’m at’.
You can give yourself the best
possible chance and say, ‘I’m
going to do everything that the
club is saying.’ But so many
times something else reoccurs.
“In the injuries side of the
game, you do feel worthless
and not part of it. I think it’s
important that sport stars
open up and talk about the
harder times they have had in
sport.
“Someone watching them can
go, ‘if it’s alright for my idol
to be in that position, I can go
and open up to my mum or my
dad, my brother or my sister or
my friends today and tell them
that I’m struggling’.
“That’s the message we’re
trying to get across slowly but
surely.”
SPORT
MATTHEW LINDSAY
CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER
backers to vote for an external
inquiry at an extraordinary
general meeting next week.
Speaking on Sportsound on
BBC Radio Scotland, he said:
Six Nations promotion
and relegation on cards

“I understand that people are

World Rubgy chairman Beaumont backs
plan for two-month Nations Cup Page 35

ing to react at pace, there are

frustrations on all sides, there
are harsh words spoken on all
text of what Scottish football is
facing, it’s kind of white noise.
“It’s like me and another

S
FA vice-president Mike But Mulraney, the excited by the happenings of sides. four baldy guys fighting over
Mulraney yesterday chairman of Ladbrokes what goes on. It is an imper- “But in the context of what a comb. It’s not really going
compared the row Championship club Alloa fect world and when people are our game is facing, it’s white to impact on the long-term fu-
between Rangers and Athletic, believes the safe- try- noise. I am paying attention ture of Scottish football.
the SPFL to “four baldy guys guarding the long-term to it because of course it’s “I believe the SFA and every-
fighting over a comb”. future of the Scottish important in the one has a responsibility to
The Ibrox club, who are game amid the context of that make sure when my wee boy,
pushing for an independent coronavirus crisis event. But who is six-years-old, is 16 he
investigation into the resolu-
resolu
lu- is far more in the game he can meaning-
has a gam
tion on the end of the season,
e on,
easo impor- con- fully take part in.

‘FOUR
are set to share their “dossier
dos
o sie
s r tant. “So, yeah,
yea I understand how
of evidence” with other SPFL
SPF
P L important it feels to those who
clubs this week. the centre of it, but in
are at th
They hope the proof off “bul- the grand
gr scheme of what
lying and coercion” whic whichch Scottish football is facing,
Scott
they say they have accumu-
cu u-
cum society is facing, it is
soc
lated will convince enough
ough not.”
n

BALDY GUYS
FIGHTING
OVER A
COMB’


SPFL-Rangers feud branded



trivial as SFA vice president



Mulraney focuses on future