Jamie Stone calls for Nicola Sturgeon to review lockdown decision for Highlands
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Far north MP Jamie Stone has urged Nicola Sturgeon to review her decision to place the Highlands in lockdown along with the rest of mainland Scotland from Boxing Day.
The Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross demanded to see the rationale behind the decision.
He says the First Minister is not distinguishing between the Highlands and the central belt in the decision to move the north into tier four, which has the strictest restrictions.
Seventeen cases of a new strain of Covid – which is believed to spread much more rapidly – have been recorded in Scotland, with 16 of them in the Great Glasgow and Clyde area.
Mr Stone said: "My constituents have made the strongest representations to me about their dismay, and indeed anger, about the First Minister’s announcement that the Highlands will move from tier one to tier four on Boxing Day.
“I agree with them, in that there doesn’t seem to be much rationale behind this decision. If the First Minister is simply applying central belt rules to us, without distinguishing the levels of infection, then she’s making a huge mistake.
“I would appeal to her to review the decision with extreme urgency, and I would also ask all MPs and MSPs representing the Highlands to join me in making this appeal to Nicola Sturgeon.”
