Alison Rowat: What's behind Nicola Sturgeon's U-turn on masks

At first glance it seems a reasonable enough response. Science speaks, government listens; it was ever thus. Likewise, it is perfectly understandable that Scottish businesses should be critical of the move.

For firms that are already struggling, two weeks could be the difference between survival and shutting up shop for good. “Further delay will put Scotland’s recovery into reverse gear again, create confusion and dent business confidence,” says Liz Cameron, director of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.

This still only partly accounts for the disappointment, anger even, that greeted Ms Sturgeon’s U-turn in some quarters. For many people the delay in lifting restrictions means two more weeks of staggering around the supermarket with steamed-up glasses. Given what else is happening in the world such inconvenience barely amounts to a single bean never mind a hill of them. Yet still there is disgruntlement.

It did not help that New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, a global leader when it comes to the “safety first” approach, chose the same day to bring forward the reopening of the country to tourists. New Zealand, Ms Ardern declared, is “ready to welcome the world back”. New Zealand is holding the door open, while Scotland keeps the chain on.

Not for the first time in the pandemic, the First Minister stands accused of exercising excessive caution. That is the generous interpretation of her approach. At worst, her critics accuse her of playing politics with Covid. Let us ignore the advice of Labour’s Yvette Cooper when asked to define a woman and go down that rabbit hole.

There has certainly been an sharp increase in new Covid cases, from 6,900 a day to 12,000, with hospitalisations following the same upwards trend. Yet the number of people in intensive care, the widely accepted benchmark for action, remains low.

The NHS may be groaning, but that is down to the weight of the backlog rather than the number of new Covid cases. With vaccination rates so high, there is even less reason to delay the lifting of all remaining restrictions.

Moreover, if Scotland is on the right track, why are cases higher here than in England, where the rules on masks were largely scrapped weeks ago? It scarcely seems logical, which brings us again to the question of why the First Minister is so determined to hit the pause button.

Out there in social media land, and in the comment sections, some minds were made up long ago. The argument goes as follows. Ms Sturgeon is a control freak. She’s addicted to the exercise of power and determined to hog the limelight. Just look at all those televised press conferences. BBC? More like NBC.

It is doubtful a male First Minister would be characterised this way. It is almost as obvious a case of double standards as that awful New Statesman illustration of Ms Sturgeon, Angela Merkel and other women politicians gathered round a cot containing nothing but a ballot box. “Why are so many successful women childless?” asked the cover line. And still society wonders why more women do not enter politics.

As for the other accusations, the First Minister did hold far too many televised briefings on Covid. The same could be said, however, of the UK Government and the First Minister of Wales. Politicians in general were handed more control over the message than was wise.

Addicted to power? Ms Sturgeon and her Government are certainly enamoured of it. Like any party in office for such a long time, particularly where the opposition is so weak, the SNP has grown accustomed to getting its own way. They revel in portraying criticism of them as criticism of Scotland when it is no such thing, and if anything goes wrong it is always Westminster’s fault. It is the way politics plays in these parts.

There is something more going on here, though, something that is particular to this First Minister, that helps to explain why the backtrack on masks touched a nerve. It is her caution. Oft mentioned by herself, and praised by others, it has come to define her style of governing.

The public does not mind politicians exercising caution. In certain policy areas it actively desires a slow and steady approach. Ms Sturgeon’s problem is that she is too often cautious when she should be bold, and bold when she should exercise restraint.

Questioning Nato’s refusal to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine is an obvious example of wading in when a cooler head should have prevailed. At the other end of the scale is her U-turn on masks. Faced with a case that could be argued both ways, she instinctively took the more cautious route. There is nothing to stop her doing so again when the policy is reviewed in a few weeks’ time, or for that matter bringing back the restrictions at some point.

There are many instances where a bold First Minister would be welcomed. Tackling child poverty, for instance. Closing the attainment gap. Sorting out a ferry service that has become a bad national joke. Waiting lists. Economic recovery. Housing. Roads and rail. NHS waiting times. Do feel free to add to the list.

It is not just the wider electorate that hopes for bolder things from the First Minister. Many in her own party, marched up and down the hill of another independence referendum that never arrives, are growing similarly impatient. Instead of levelling with supporters about the obstacles that lie ahead, and what it will take to remove them, the farce goes on.

Keeping the focus on a referendum makes for an easier life for the First Minister and her Government. The other stuff, the everyday grind of government, is hard. It involves difficult choices, requires imagination and ideas and the talent to implement them. It means taking risks and shouldering responsibility. Still, why bother pulling your finger out when it is so much easier to spend the days constitutional navel-gazing?