Nicola Sturgeon’s handling of the pandemic, as well as frustration at the political impasse, is driving more people into the yes camp
It was at the height of Scotland’s lockdown that it struck Henry most profoundly that the union was obsolete. A traditional Labour voter in his late 40s from a unionist family, he watched as the disorienting, dumbfounding news of the pandemic scrolled across his TV screen and realised that the bonds of the UK seemed “no longer fit for purpose”.
As the crisis progressed, Henry says, he was “appalled by the arrogance of the Westminster elite, in particular the behaviour of Dominic Cummings”. He compares this to the conduct of Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon. “I’ve never been a supporter of the SNP or a massive advocate for Sturgeon, but when she appeared on those daily briefings there was an honesty that shone through. I’m not naive, I know how politicians operate, but I felt she showed a down-to-earth empathy.” He also felt Sturgeon, unlike Boris Johnson, was in command of the situation.
