Columns and Opinions

Normally, we would have been enjoying the traditional Turriff May Day this week. 

I have always enjoyed attending this event with my family. I think we all hoped when it was cancelled last year due to Covid that it would go ahead in 2021.  

I want to begin this week’s column by reflecting on the remarkable life of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

Prince Philip had a strong connection to Scotland – and to the North East in particular.

It was welcome to hear some movement on the lifting of Covid restrictions last week.

Previous announcements from the First Minister failed to provide any certainty for the public or businesses on the route out of the current measures.

There was a lot of good news for the north-east in the Chancellor’s Budget.

Rishi Sunak maintained the huge level of government support for workers and businesses across the UK by extending the furlough and self-employment support schemes until 30 September.

The Chancellor had a big job on his hands with last week’s Budget, with large parts of the economy still shut down and debt levels not seen outside of wartime.

But Rishi Sunak managed to strike a balance between continuing to protect livelihoods while offering hope of a quick recovery.

There was a lot of good news for the north-east in the Chancellor’s Budget.

Rishi Sunak maintained the huge level of government support for workers and businesses across the UK by extending the furlough and self-employment support schemes until 30 September.

The decision to allow primary 1-3 pupils back to school this week should be the first of several cautious but positive steps back towards normality.

This may come as a relief for many parents for whom home schooling can be a challenge – particularly with multiple children.

As the vaccination programme continues to work at pace across the country, attention is turning to how to rebuild our economy after Covid.

The restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic have put paid to so many events over the past year that we barely notice when another cancellation is announced.

The news that the Turriff Show will not go ahead this year was different, however.

The national Covid-19 vaccination programme was always going to be an enormous logistical challenge.

At the time of writing, more than 10million people across the UK have received their first dose.