The first minister’s announcement that health and care workers in Scotland are to be given a £500 payment as a “thank you” for their work during the pandemic is the lead story in several papers. The Daily Record reports on Nicola Sturgeon saying the one-off bonus would recognise their “extraordinary service in this toughest of years”.
Around 300,000 full-time staff will receive the £500 payment, with The Scotsman adding that those who work part-time will get a “proportionate share”. The paper also says a nursing union, while welcoming the one-off payment, has called for an improved pay deal to reflect its members’ day-to-day work.
The i says Ms Sturgeon has vowed that the cash bonuses totalling £180m will be wholly financed by the Scottish government and will come with “no strings attached”.
The Times leads with the first minister urging Boris Johnson to ensure that staff do not have to pay tax on the bonuses. However, the Treasury has dismissed the plea – and said the Scottish government could cover the cost from the £8.2bn of extra funding it has already been given to deal with the virus.
The Herald also features the bonus payment and the ensuing tax row. But it leads with Scotland’s prosecutors being on the verge of strike action. The paper says industrial action is being threatened over Crown Office lawyers being paid less than their counterparts in the Scottish government.
The National devotes its front page to Nicola Sturgeon’s “indyref rallying cry” in her speech to the party’s annual conference. The first minister has pledged the SNP’s 2021 manifesto will contain an explicit commitment to hold a “legal” independence referendum in the early part of the next parliament.
Nicola Sturgeon is branded “out of touch” in the Daily Express over her renewed calls for an independence referendum. Opponents have criticised the first minister for demanding a fresh vote while the battle against coronavirus continues.
The Daily Telegraph leads with Nicola Sturgeon saying Boris Johnson’s handling of the pandemic shows Scotland must split from the rest of the UK. The first minister said in her conference speech that independence would allow Scotland to “rebuild” after the crisis.
“No jab? You’re barred” is the top headline in the Daily Mail, warning that restaurants, bars and cinemas may turn away customers if they have not had a Covid jab. The warning comes from Nadhim Zahawi, the UK government minister in charge of the vaccine rollout.
The Metro carries a picture of pop star Rita Ora, who it says has made a “grovelling apology” for holding a lockdown birthday party. The paper says the singer will voluntarily fine herself £10,000 for the breach but questions why the police did not act.
The Daily Star also leads with Rita Ora’s apology over the party which was attended by up to 30 friends. The paper says the pop star “is in a Covid mess”.
The Sun reports on celebrity Celtic fan Sir Rod Stewart saying he was “disgusted” by the protests outside Celtic Park following the club’s League Cup loss on Sunday. Three police officers were injured as angry supporters called for manager Neil Lennon to be sacked.
The Courier focuses on the leader of the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association calling for next year’s Highers exams to be cancelled due to the “extreme pressure” the coronavirus pandemic has put on school pupils.
The Edinburgh News leads with the bonus payment for NHS and social care workers, but says frontline staff will continue to fight for a new pay deal which they say is long overdue.
The Evening Express says it believes the Scottish government has recommended the north-east be moved to level three Covid restrictions. The paper says the move comes amid concern over the number of cases in the region, particularly in Aberdeenshire where several outbreaks have been detected.
The Evening Telegraph reports on the planned opening of a new Covid appraisal centre in a bid to detect more cases within the community.
The Glasgow Times has an interview with the daughters of a care home resident who suffers from dementia insisting half-hourly weekly visiting slots are “not long enough”. The women fear “time is running out” to see their mother.
The Press and Journal leads with a call for people living in level four areas of Covid restrictions to stay away from the north of Scotland. It follows police confirming that 10 people were fined for flouting the rules by travelling to Oban in Argyll and Bute over the weekend.
BBC
