Coronavirus fight needs a cross-party consensus – leader comment

Leaders must stick to scientific advice about the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic and avoid party political disputes.

The comparisons between our efforts to tackle the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak and the Second World War have come in for some criticism. And indeed, this is not a fight between human foes or nations and the main priority is to save lives, not take them.

However, in at least one respect, the analogies are useful. The wartime government was a coalition for the simple reason that victory was not a party political issue.

Since the coronavirus outbreak began, politicians of all stripes have worked to create a much-needed sense of unity – much-needed because the strategy designed to reduce the spread of infection is based largely on the goodwill of the public and clear messages from those in charge.

However, it is obvious that the stresses and strains of the lockdown are beginning to have an effect in other parts of the world. In the US, for example, where an astonishing 22 million people have lost their jobs in a month, there have been public demonstrations calling for the restrictions to end. One Republican congressman, Trey Hollingsworth, even argued that restarting the economy was more important than the disease, saying “in the choice between the loss of our way of life as Americans and the loss of life of American lives, we have to always choose the latter”.

Another factor is that the virus is affecting different places to a greater or lesser degree. The outbreak is worse in London than in Scotland and worse in Scotland’s urban areas compared to the Western Isles and other remote areas. As the economic damage becomes more apparent, the UK may start to see demonstrations like those in the US, particularly in areas where people believe the need for restrictions is not so great.

Devolution creates another potential fracture line as different people at Holyrood and Westminster are required to take the big decisions and they may, quite naturally, disagree with each other about the best course to take. And there may be good reasons for Scotland to take a slightly different path.

The important thing, however, is for politicians to work hard to ensure they are acting in accordance with the best scientific advice and not let any differences spill over into party political feuding.

The cross-party consensus is vital because it is a major factor in helping to keep the public united in this great struggle against our common foe.

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