Libby Brooks – The Guardian Nov 19, 2020
Scottish nationalists protest on the border with England against English visitors bringing Covid-19 into the country.
The Scottish government has published draft regulations that make it illegal to enter or leave the country without a reasonable excuse, as well as significantly restricting travel within Scotland.
The regulations, which come into force on Friday at 6pm, were described as “deeply flawed” by opposition parties, which said they had “grave doubts” about the competence of Scottish ministers to legislate in this way.
According to the draft document, a person living in Scotland must not travel to any other part of the common travel area – England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland – nor can anyone from those places travel to Scotland. Breach of these cross-border restrictions is punishable by a minimum £60 fixed penalty fine.
The restrictions on cross-border and internal travel are accompanied by a lengthy list of exemptions. An individual can leave Scotland to take a driving test, feed an animal or donate blood, in addition to the more usual exemptions around work, education and health.
Guidance accompanying the regulations also states that people in level 3 or 4 local authority areas – which includes much of central Scotland – “are now required to stay in that area unless they have a reasonable excuse to travel, such as work, education, or welfare reasons”. Going on holiday, whether elsewhere in Scotland or abroad, is not deemed a reasonable excuse.
The Scottish Conservative MSP and professor of public law Adam Tomkins said: “Is this within Holyrood’s competence? For one thing, freedom of movement would appear to be expressly reserved to the UK parliament under the Scotland Act. For another, it’s not clear that the Scottish parliament can make rules contrary to the common travel area, as agreed to by the UK and Ireland.
“It’s not at all clear if the draft regulations published today are within the remit of the Scottish parliament.”
A Scottish government spokesperson denied this, saying the regulations were “entirely within the remit of the Scottish parliament”.
“Restrictions on unnecessary travel are in place in law in various forms in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland and in many parts of Europe. In Scotland they are necessary to underpin an approach that puts different parts of the country under different levels of protective measures”.
Regulations in place in Wales state that travel into the country from England is not allowed without a reasonable excuse, for example, travelling for work purposes. Visiting family and friends or having a holiday is not deemed a reasonable excuse.
Regulations in place for England’s current lockdown state that no person may leave home without a reasonable excuse, which includes work, exercise and education.
At first minister’s questions on Thursday, the Scottish Labour leader, Richard Leonard, described the travel ban as “deeply flawed” and said: “The overwhelming majority of people are just trying to keep up with regulations in order to follow them. But the best-case scenario is that this travel ban will confuse them. The worst-case scenario is that it will criminalise them.”
Later on Thursday, MSP Oliver Mundell resigned from the Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet in protest at the travel curbs. He voted against the party whip in a Holyrood debate on the new regulations because of concerns about the impact border restrictions would have on communities in his Dumfriesshire constituency.
Party leader Douglas Ross said he was disappointed to see him go and appreciated that “he is only doing what he feels is best for his local area”.
Nicola Sturgeon doesn’t have the legal powers to do this.
Ill go where I please no xxxx in any Government is gonna stop me doing as i please all the Scottish ministers like the English ministers are bought traitors and in my book there opinions and directives are null and void the people of this country need to get some balls and xxxx this lot off.
Are they concerned about the discovery of the Coronation Stone/ Jacob’s Pillar/ Stone of Destiny https://JAHTruth.net/liafail that’s still hidden in Scotland somewhere since before QE2 was crowned upon a fake copy of it, and therefore never was the lawful sovereign? https://JAHTruth.net/britmon .
Black Watch, with fixed bayonets facing the enemy in two world wars, and a few since, are frightened of a bunch of bureaucrats who say a particular virus in a world full of viruses, is so deadly that if you travel out of Scotland you will cause untold deaths. Wake up to the scam and get your war guts back again. You’ll need them before your own bought and paid for traitors have finished.
Does this mean that Berwick Rangers’ season is over? I think the boys in the Tweed Stand might have something to say about that.
Nicola Sturgeon used to be the Evil Queen in Snow White.
I live in Scotland , anyone that still listens to the despicable sturgeon deserves all that comes their way. Their is no excuse for anyone that still believes this hoax, the amount of evidence out there that contradicts their hoax virus story is massive. Sick of saying this, all people have to do is stop following their nonsensical rules, take the power off them by not complying.
Stopped at the Guardian reports!! Usual FAKE NEWS!!
Boy,,, isn’t it something that today’s governments around the world think they can just pass any law no matter how stupid or how unlawful. That they are elite and the peasants are simply to obey. That we have no natural rights that they can’t cancel even celebrating Christs birthday.
In the US most politicians violate the constitution every time they open their lying mouth. The constitution mentions no form of marital law, medical or otherwise. The ten restrictions put on government are not optional. Executive orders are not Kings dictates.
Be a resistor. Have a enjoyable large Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday. Remember Christians,,, Jesus was a resistor,,, constantly irritating the Pharisees who, like today’s leaders think they are gods.
Resist!
Good commentary here and Ken in his comment above has sound advice. Of course, as I know a war is already raging, I’d recommend a more powerful message to the tyrants, the oppressors, and the legions of useful idiots and mindless virtue signalers who have been accomplices to these egregious crimes. Take that moronic bloke, that bloated imbecilic sack of dung, in the photo at the top…really, take him. Take him, have him vigorously flogged and rolled in pig shit right in front of that sign, then hog-tie him and hang him from he sign. Rip that asshole’s homemade banner to pieces and post a different one by his dangling corpse, saying something like, “Covid is a Fraud. You have been Lied to, Again. This Is What Happens To Traitors”. Traitors like Sturgeon deserve similar treatment, but add in a few more firm steps.