LISA Nandy showed exactly why Labour are irrelevant in Scotland with a comment about female leadership during the pandemic.
The Labour MP, who once said that Scotland should look to Catalonia to find answers on beating “divisive nationalism”, praised several female leaders for their approach to Covid-19 – but missed one key figure out.
Nicola Sturgeon has been ranked as one of the world’s most eloquent leaders in recent months, alongside the likes of Jacinda Ardern and Angela Merkel.
Scientists writing in the Lancet last week also noted that the First Minister has managed to win public trust during the crisis, one of the few leaders bucking a global trend.
READ MORE: Lisa Nandy under fire for Catalonia claim in Andrew Neil interview
But the shadow foreign secretary chose to ignore Sturgeon’s existence when asked specifically about Scotland.
Professor Anand Menon, interviewing Nandy for the Beyond Brexit Live event, asked her: “And do you buy this idea that internationally female leaders have succeeded better in dealing with Covid?”
Nandy said she agreed to a large extent – explaining that women can provide a different kind of leadership to strong-man populist leaders, who have not dealt with the crisis so well.
“This is first and foremost a public health crisis,” she said. “And in any public health crisis explaining to people what has happened, being clear and being honest and being consistent, being unafraid to say that you don’t know all the answers or change your mind when you’ve got it wrong.
“To share that information with people, to know that it’s not cowardice to show a level of compromise in order to bring people with you and to solve this together. All of those things are traits that are not really present in that style of leadership.”
Nandy cited the female leaders of Denmark, Germany, New Zealand and South Korea as examples.
The professor then said: “Well I’ve got to ask now then. Scotland?”
Smirking, the Labour MP replied: “Lovely place.”
Nandy and the professor then laughed before moving on to discuss Brexit further.
Sturgeon has won praise from voters across the political spectrum for her handling of the coronavirus crisis – this is clear in polling on trust in the Scottish Government and support for their virus measures.
Nandy’s comment proves Labour has little interest in the crisis or improving the lives of Scots – they’re only interested in petty political squabbles.
Scots can see through it – that’s why they’re polling as low as 14% ahead of next year’s Holyrood election.
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