When much of the country was put into level 4, the First Minister told us that that was being done in order to reduce the rate of infection so that many people could hope to have something approaching a more normal Christmas. However, instead of waiting to find out whether those measures were effective, the Governments of the four nations committed in advance to the Christmas relaxation, a decision that the editors of the

Health Service Journal and

BMJ have today said was “rash” and “will cost many lives”.

Now that we are seeing an increase in infections again, fully a week and a half before Christmas and a week before the Christmas relaxation comes in, does it not look pretty clear that the editors of those health journals are right? When the First Minister joins that four-nations call about the review of the Christmas relaxation, what position will she advocate on behalf of the Scottish Government?