'Look, there’s a squirrel': Recess sees our UK political parties in full diversion mode

In normal times, recess in Holyrood and Westminster would be a time for political reporters to take their foot off the gas for a brief period of respite as MPs and MSPs take a break, but we are far from being in normal times.

Instead, as the half-term breaks begins, the parties are in full-on squirrel mode.

First up is the Prime Minister himself with a visit to Scotland in some sort of bizarre ‘levelling up’ tour to a part of the UK where politicians, including his own party, have united in opposition to him, personally.

This is against the backdrop of Boris Johnson also promising the end of the pandemic for good, with the end of all restrictions in England planned to be announced on February 21.

Scotland's main two political parties are in full distraction mode

The public health advice backing this move is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma as it hasn’t been made public.

What it is, however, is a desperate, clutching-at-straws attempt at using the Covid squirrel as a distraction to the mighty ‘partygate’ obstacle in front of the Prime Minister.

In any case, Scotland’s own health secretary believes his own public health advice – also largely a mystery to the public – states removing measures such as self-isolation would be a mistake.

Humza Yousaf’s own party is in need of something else to distract its voters after a week of curious pension-based self-immolation.

Thankfully, up pops Ian Blackford, who, after kicking the whole pensions debacle off and potentially undermining the next indyref campaign on an issue it lost the first vote on, has labelled the Prime Minister a “walking advert for independence”.

It is possible, of course, to care about more than one thing at a time.

Despite the protestations of Johnson loyalists, the public are allowed and capable of being concerned about the possibility of impending war or the end of a pandemic and the fact their Prime Minister may well be a criminal.

It also possible for Scots, particularly those who may be undecided on independence, to care both about whether their pensions are guaranteed post-independence while also thinking ‘partygate’ means Johnson should resign.

Recess will likely demonstrate more of this playground approach as politicians of yellow and blue continue to attempt to dig themselves out of their respective holes.

Want to hear more from The Scotsman's politics team? Check out the latest episode of our political podcast, The Steamie.

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