WESTMINSTER has been leaking for days that there would be “three families over five days” allowed for Christmas, so a Cobra meeting is held(!) with “the devolved” nations and the result announced is – guess what? – three families for five days.

Channel 4 News shows a 10-year-old boy being buried, and an overflowing cemetery in Bradford, and Professor Devi Sridhar advises there will be an inevitable increase in cases and deaths as a result of this ruling and cautions a delay to Christmas now that vaccines are becoming available.

READ MORE: Call for evidence after experts say Christmas plans throw 'fuel on Covid fire'

So why has our First Minister, who has been to the fore throughout this crisis, agreed to such a nonsensical relaxation in fighting the virus at this stage? Is all the goodwill that she has built up in the last nine months to be squandered for a Christmas fling to satisfy the Westminster desire for a “proper English Christmas”.

Don’t get me wrong, we have family and grandchildren to see, but already we are talking of a different Christmas with reduced family contacts and meeting in the garden (weather permitting). And what of the normal Scottish New Year? I now suspect there will be massive contraventions of “the rules” at Hogmanay given the example of this ill-thought-out relaxation.

Paul Gillon
Leven, Fife

SO very disappointed by Nicola following what is obviously an English dictate. I believe she has shot herself in the foot. Having worked in retail for many years covering Scotland and England, it became the norm for many in England to wind down a few days before Christmas and revive after Boxing Day ... five days. The holiday period was of course very different in Scotland, taking into consideration the Hogmanay and New Year breaks.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon says she won't risk meeting her parents at Christmas

The main point, however, is the different strategy Scotland was adopting. The science says this is dangerous, Nicola warns it is very risky, no travel restrictions seems a recipe for disaster. It also weakens the message sent out during the past eight months of discipline by the majority of Scots.

There is still time to modify or temper these instructions to a more Scottish template, but my fear is she has done irreparable damage to her credibility.

D Gill
via email

I CAN understand the feelings of many people who want to have a traditional Christmas, with the family all invited. The various lockdown measures have been hard on people, especially those who maybe only see their families at times like Christmas, and I’m sure some were already making plans irrespective of what restrictions would be in place.

However, we’ve got to remember what we’re dealing with. The virus won’t take a few days off. More people meeting up will see a greater spread of Covid and ultimately it will impact on those who are most at risk. Is the potential harm to elderly parents or grandparents, or even younger members of the family with underlying medical conditions, worth the price of a Christmas dinner?

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon: Please think carefully about whether you need to form a 'bubble'

We should be wary of the advice offered by the government about lifting some of the restrictions surrounding family bubbles. The advice from health professionals is clear – don’t risk your family’s health over a turkey dinner. Be wary of any meetings outside your current household. Do you really want to be responsible for the potential death of a family member?

Ignore the extended bubble idea and keep safe. With vaccines potentially coming in the new year, hold off any family gathering until it is safe to do so.

Cllr Kenny MacLaren
Paisley

I BELIEVE the vast majority of people in Scotland are sensible enough and willing to forsake over-hyped Christmas celebrations for one year, in the hope that this will contribute towards eradicating the coronavirus more quickly. Think of the thousands of people who have sacrificed so much, some with their lives, in an attempt to combat this illness.

Why did the Scottish Government even contemplate relaxing restrictions at all, never mind for FIVE DAYS? Is it political, personal, practical of just pure popularism? Such a decision is not pragmatic. This could be by far the biggest mistake Sturgeon has made as First Minister.

Sandy Coghill
Sligachan, Isle of Skye

AS a Highland Scot I have always celebrated New Year instead of Christmas. So it is disappointing to say the least that the Scottish Government has capitulated and agreed to fall in with the other three nations in celebrating Christmas instead of New Year.

The Unionists will be delighted, as they have been undermining Hogmanay for years. Well I will not be doing Christmas, but will celebrate New Year as I have done for 82 years.

Ronald Livingstone McNeill
Strachur

GREGOR Young’s article “Publisher’s profits dip by more than half” (November 24) is interesting as it highlights the diminishing role of the press in our society.

I am not surprised that the circulation is collapsing when the Scottish editions of London-based press are filled with doom-and-gloom stories about Scotland and the efforts of the people who live and work here. They also endeavour to denigrate the achievements of the Scottish Government, which was elected by the Scottish people.

All this in an attempt to shore up the Westminster Tory government “led” by PM Boris Johnson with his highly unpopular policies. Given this, it is not surprising that the people in Scotland are not willing to spend their hard-earned cash buying such newspapers.

In the past old newspapers had other uses eg used to light the fire or torn up into squares with a hole in the corner and tied with a piece of string and hung on a nail on the door of the WC, but now it is straight into the recycling bin.

Thomas L Inglis
Fintry