One of the least attractive aspects of the SNP, its leaders and supporters – among many others – is the “holier than you” attitude it adopts in relation to humanitarian issues. It perpetually seeks to define itself as a more supportive and generous administration than that of London.
I may be wrong, but I don’t remember Nicola Sturgeon saying the Scots were more human than the English. But the message was clear, at least to this viewer.
Everything has been nonsense, of course, especially in relation to immigration, where the Prime Minister and her ministers have tried to perpetuate the myth that immigrants are more welcome in Scotland than in England.
This is simply not true and there is no evidence to support the claim. In fact, most opinion polls show that attitudes toward immigration are identical on both sides of the border.
The promise to lodge the Ukrainians takes off
But now it has emerged that on a different but related issue, Ms. Sturgeon’s noble views – on how brilliant and welcoming would be the welcome her government offered to Ukrainian refugees who had been expelled from their homes by Vladimir Putin – have been unclogged.
The welcome would be better, he suggested, than the one they would receive in England, and he repeatedly criticized Westminster for its approach, suggesting that he had no humanity.
According to his plan, those fleeing the conflict could be sponsored directly by the Scottish government, rather than having to be sponsored by a person willing to take them home, as was the case in England.
This would make the refugees arrive in Scotland more quickly, with Mrs. Sturgeon saying they could be placed in temporary housing until a suitable home was found to house them.
An unpleasant case of incompetence error
However, the mistake of incompetence that seems to bite the Sturgeon team at every step has stung again, with the Prime Minister admitting that his plan has stopped, at least for now, as there is no has homes available to house refugees. .
It’s not so much that there’s no room at the inn. There are no inns.
As a result, his government has had to rent an old Estonian ferry, which will offer accommodation in 739 rooms. It is moored in Leith, ironically close to one of Scotland’s most important tourist attractions, the Royal Yacht Britannia, and two 200-room Lanarkshire tower blocks, which are being refurbished at a cost of £ 5 million. pound sterling.
The Scottish government said applications had skyrocketed since Wales closed its plan last month and Scotland had already welcomed proportionately more refugees than other nations in the UK. However, the number of Scots who have personally sponsored a Ukrainian visa is much lower.
First, the details, then
It’s hard to disagree with Wendy Chamberlain of the Liberal Democrats, who said this was another example of the Scottish government “prioritizing courage over making the right details”.
One aspect of this story still needs an answer. Will Ms. Sturgeon be offered to share her home with a refugee, as she has suggested it would be if deemed “necessary”? They should tell us. After all, it was a pretty spectacular offer.
After his government’s refusal to pay more for UK financial aid to Ukraine because it was not his responsibility, this latest mess in a party that boasts, above all, of its communication skills is an extremely damaging goal in itself.
His government said it is only “stopping” its refugee plan before continuing with its support when it is sure accommodation will be available. Hopefully this time he got it right.
But perhaps they should have resolved this before Mrs Sturgeon began her boastful routine on “Scotland does better”.