Close the Scotland/England border
While Scotland does not currently have the power to close the border, as England is currently the worst affected country in Europe and on track to be the worst on the planet, if England choose to lift its lockdown and we don't, we should use Police and Public health powers to create checkpoints on the Scottish side of the border to turn back any travellers on non essential journeys. The only traffic that should be allowed is freight, emergency services and people crossing the border for work. All other traffic should be turned around.
Welsh police worked this successfully, why can't we?
Welsh police worked this successfully, why can't we?
Why the contribution is important
This will greatly reduce the risk of infection, as Englands infection and death rates far surpass ours.
It will also stop people travelling on holiday or to second homes, putting our NHS in danger of being overwhelmed.
It will also stop people travelling on holiday or to second homes, putting our NHS in danger of being overwhelmed.
by Gordy on May 05, 2020 at 10:51PM
Posted by julselis May 05, 2020 at 23:12
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Alimac35 May 05, 2020 at 23:48
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Henretty May 06, 2020 at 00:08
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by margarett May 06, 2020 at 01:30
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by is May 06, 2020 at 02:37
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Afoggo May 06, 2020 at 06:00
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by stagwoodwellbeing May 06, 2020 at 07:14
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Runaire May 06, 2020 at 07:23
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Sarahj May 06, 2020 at 07:30
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Marion May 06, 2020 at 08:00
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by CareBear May 06, 2020 at 08:09
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Caroline2121 May 06, 2020 at 08:23
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by SoWhatNow May 06, 2020 at 08:57
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by westkip May 06, 2020 at 11:30
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Sabrinam May 06, 2020 at 11:47
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by SawersL May 06, 2020 at 11:55
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by DrT May 06, 2020 at 12:11
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by MaighstirTodt May 06, 2020 at 12:43
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by MargaretR19 May 06, 2020 at 13:48
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by seamus May 06, 2020 at 14:17
Scotland needs to make its own decisions on evidence based FOR Scotland
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by AlexaJoy May 06, 2020 at 14:54
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by jrob May 06, 2020 at 15:20
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by JCC May 06, 2020 at 15:39
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by TinyP May 06, 2020 at 16:57
People also still have family and friends across the border they are desperate to see, myself included, which should be considered essential under mental health if nothing else by now, not to mention other business they desperately need to take care of.
It is time to start trusting people and engage in mandatory masks, gloves and testing. We won't get any further keeping everyone locked away. Economy is on its knees. Educations are being destroyed. People across the country are at risk of homelessness as they are suddenly unable to make rent or mortgage because of losing jobs. There are covid carriers in every town, every street even. To truly prevent the spread, we would have to completely ban leaving homes altogether, making them prison cells in the most literal sense, which is of course, ridiculous.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Ginakeenan May 06, 2020 at 17:48
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Alasdrum May 06, 2020 at 17:56
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Frannz33 May 06, 2020 at 17:57
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by sueh_59 May 06, 2020 at 19:17
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Sorcha2222 May 06, 2020 at 20:00
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by NewYorkChrysler May 06, 2020 at 20:45
Our controls to reduce spread of the virus need to be better aligned and understood. It is not helpful to our citizens to hear conflicting advice and guidance.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Dougieo May 06, 2020 at 21:25
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by hbutcher21 May 06, 2020 at 21:45
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by John_Taylor May 06, 2020 at 22:41
It is far too soon to allow tourists and non-essential travellers.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by PerthshireForever May 07, 2020 at 01:55
Even if it were, it would cause immense trouble for people in communities on both sides of our internal UK border. People from Cumbria or Northumberland may find their nearest shop is in Dumfries & Galloway or the Scottish Borders Council, and vice versa. The border isn't some clear line which nobody crosses unless for good reason - people cross it every day and they have to do so - much like how somebody living in Invergowrie (Perth and Kinross) will find it easier to cross into Dundee City to shop for goods, so too may somebody living on one side of our Anglo-Scottish Border find it easier to cross to the other side.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Colin87 May 07, 2020 at 05:53
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by T303 May 07, 2020 at 10:20
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by DennisThecat May 07, 2020 at 10:24
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Scotland_is_flatlining May 07, 2020 at 10:33
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by lastlullaby May 07, 2020 at 10:44
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Cowden May 07, 2020 at 10:49
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by maryhar May 07, 2020 at 11:30
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by NKTC May 07, 2020 at 11:43
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by colinbro99 May 07, 2020 at 12:21
But there should also be local or regional variation in policies driven by live stats on each local epidemic.
e.g. Inverclyde is currently the worst-affected region, and easily ring-fenced by a few main roads and railways - and the coastline.
Real islands can also be easily ring-fenced, and Kintyre is almost an island.
Shetland was an early hotspot, Orkney was not - prime instances for Test/Isolate/Treat were missed.
In 1918 pandemic, whole towns were virus-free by simple quarantine/exclusion policies. That can still happen here:
The centre must allow local variation within its own borders
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by WilfredLawrieNicholasJohnson May 07, 2020 at 12:21
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Bigshire May 07, 2020 at 12:42
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Peachy May 07, 2020 at 13:13
It's not like it would be hard to monitor. Artics is an obvious allow, we can starve England and vice versa, but cars should be turned away if not necessary (including family visits, we have video chat).
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by randomchaos May 07, 2020 at 15:22
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Wilsmce May 07, 2020 at 15:35
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by JoysieJ May 07, 2020 at 19:55
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by lcraik May 07, 2020 at 20:00
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by IndyScot1000 May 07, 2020 at 21:03
what’s the point of us taking extra measures when tourists will charge in and undo all the careful distancing we are doing. just this once, Scotland should be saying ‘us first’ after all it’s a life and death situation.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by derick28a May 07, 2020 at 21:25
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Purple23 May 08, 2020 at 00:05
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by laumon May 08, 2020 at 07:10
No point reducing infection in Scotland ,and then have IMPORTED cases from England.
There should definitely be check points to control essential travel only !!!
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Smac May 08, 2020 at 07:57
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Abx20 May 08, 2020 at 07:57
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Bucketp May 08, 2020 at 08:09
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Julief May 08, 2020 at 08:40
And as someone pointed out, for those living in the borders this isn’t practical.
The bigger issue is that we don’t have coherence between west minister and the devolved governments. I fear this is going to quickly politicise the pandemic which will be catastrophic for all of us, which ever part of the UK you live in.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Johnh May 08, 2020 at 09:35
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by LaineyMac May 08, 2020 at 09:38
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Inverness May 08, 2020 at 10:34
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by DP May 08, 2020 at 12:30
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Donald May 08, 2020 at 12:55
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Westcoaster May 08, 2020 at 15:00
This comment has been removed by a moderator.
Posted by Graham May 08, 2020 at 16:01
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by HighlandLass May 08, 2020 at 18:08
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by peterk May 08, 2020 at 18:09
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by maggiea May 08, 2020 at 20:56
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by lggl May 09, 2020 at 11:22
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by GordonM May 09, 2020 at 11:48
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by PiedFifer May 09, 2020 at 12:32
The irony is that in a supposedly free society we cannot be trusted to do the same. In theory we could close off our own streets. Villages could close off their entry roads, likewise with towns.
If the virus was only in England would it have been ridiculous to close the border to stop it spreading to Scotland? All in it together does not result in optimal solutions.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by MARshd May 09, 2020 at 14:41
We are all in this together and there should be no divide (political or otherwise) in how policies are implemented in any of the 4 nations.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Stephen666 May 09, 2020 at 14:50
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by JVL May 09, 2020 at 15:56
Furthermore it would be a complete waste of police resources to manage the closure
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Lanaiya May 09, 2020 at 16:30
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Davidinverness May 09, 2020 at 17:52
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by EKopinion May 09, 2020 at 18:28
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by mallan May 09, 2020 at 20:09
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by GrahamDane May 09, 2020 at 20:45
Keep politics out of the debate.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by JaimeGK May 10, 2020 at 00:03
Even if this works to disadvantage some parts of the country? France, for example, is split into different zones. As I understand it, travel between zones is tightly controlled.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Badhairdays May 10, 2020 at 00:47
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by conniel May 10, 2020 at 11:32
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by gac555 May 10, 2020 at 12:25
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by TGOODS May 10, 2020 at 21:57
This comment has been removed by a moderator.
Posted by jeankemp May 11, 2020 at 01:07
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Andy1510 May 11, 2020 at 09:35
Why would people wish to travel to an area with a higher infection rate.
Seems like you wish to be part of the UK when it comes to allowing goods coming into Scotland and accepting all help from the UK government by way of additional funding and health surveillance/testing but telling them to go away otherwise.
"What have the Romans ever done for us" springs to mind.
My advice to anyone who agrees with this suggestion is to go and stand in front of a mirror, grab a facecloth, and rub all the blue dye off your face.
Let's just stick to the current FM slogan;- "Stay at Home........but go out as much as you like"
Be careful the border is not closed in the other direction to stop any spread from Scotland to England.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by DaveinEdinburgh May 11, 2020 at 10:27
However, what Scotland does not need is large numbers of camper vans and tourists 'escaping' to their holiday homes.
New Zealand, Australia and Finland all imposed intra-state travel bans and have had some of the best outcomes globally.
People opposing travel restrictions between Scotland and England on this thread are typically doing so from a constitutional viewpoint, not a health one.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Gordong16 May 11, 2020 at 12:14
If this had been done in wide from the start(considering the UK is an island) we would have had little to none in the way of deaths
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by plee1974 May 11, 2020 at 12:21
We must ensure that the roads in to Scotland from England are policed to stop any holidaying or unnecessary travel into Scotland.
If we do not then this makes a complete farce of the 7 weeks we have already endured to try and stop the spread of this virus.
Boris is allowing unrestriced travel in England - This will mean many people trying to come to Scotland, I understand we cannot close our border - But we can police them. There is a second wave coming and it's heading for England.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Gi May 11, 2020 at 12:33
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by dam19 May 11, 2020 at 12:49
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by alexandra97 May 11, 2020 at 13:14
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Haggis59 May 11, 2020 at 13:16
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by EGJ May 11, 2020 at 13:24
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Angie101 May 11, 2020 at 13:34
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Wllcnur May 11, 2020 at 13:55
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by kazbrundell May 11, 2020 at 14:52
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Henderson May 11, 2020 at 14:57
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by abhi May 11, 2020 at 15:47
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by LauraJones May 11, 2020 at 16:48
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by mpiper May 11, 2020 at 17:41
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Brett May 11, 2020 at 18:14
Simply monitor traffic and enforce guidelines. Symbolic actions of closing a border simply allow the narrative of party politics to persist in the media. Like it or not for Scotland to close its border would be used to undermine the clear, considered and consistent approach taken by Scot Gov throughout. Public health remains the priority. The position of the government that has my complete support.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by Maramoto May 11, 2020 at 20:52
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by LisaB May 11, 2020 at 21:29
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by peterbrownbarra May 11, 2020 at 21:54
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)