Scotland's papers: Covid 'cancels' Christmas and cafes go to court
- Published
Under the headline "traditional Christmas is cancelled", the Scottish Daily Mail reports on national clinical director Jason Leitch's comments that the idea it will be of a normal Christmas this year is a "fiction". He told Scots to prepare for digital celebrations.
Prof Leitch said there was "absolutely no question" of a "normal" Christmas being allowed - leading the Daily Star to portray him as The Grinch.
"The worst Noel" is the Daily Record's take on the news. The first minister echoed Prof Leitch's sentiments in her coronavirus briefing. Nicola Sturgeon said the government was making "really tough" decisions and would not "tell people what they want to hear to make it easier in the here and now".
The Courier also looks towards Christmas. The paper says "digital" Christmas plans will replace traditional family gatherings. Prof Leitch did say though he was hopeful that if the virus can be suppressed to a low enough level then "we may be able to get some form of normality" over the festive period.
The i front page also warns of a festive period like no other. The national clinical director did say perhaps "costs now" in the form of tighter restrictions "may get us a more family Christmas". The paper carries a poll which says the public favour a circuit breaker lockdown to allow rules to be eased over Christmas.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Scottish hospitality industry bodies have launched a legal challenge against the Scottish government's Covid restrictions. After the restrictions - including pub closures in the central belt - were extended, five trade bodies said they will petition for a judicial review if the current curbs are not withdrawn.
The Daily Express says the first minister "faces a court battle" over the hospitality restrictions. The trade bodies say the industry has been made "a sacrificial lamb" in the fight against Covid.
The Herald's story says the government is being asked to provide the evidence which backs up its decision making. Nicola Sturgeon said businesses had the right to challenge decisions, but she added they were not "taken lightly".
The Scotsman says the industry have joined forces as hospitality businesses are "near collapse". The paper warns the new tiered system which the Scottish government is going to announce could keep many businesses closed indefinitely.
The National reports that the UK government has a picked a fight with the devolved administrations by announcing that there won’t be extra money for them despite new spending in England. When new spending is announced for England in devolved areas, the Treasury gives set shares to devolved governments. But this time the Treasury has told the Scottish government that it should fund its own grants through the £700m extra funding announced two weeks ago.
The Press and Journal front page reports that emergency services were called out to rescue people stranded by flooding in the north east of Scotland on Wednesday night.
Businessman Stuart Gibson has spoken about increasing his Rangers shareholding investment by £5m. Mr Gibson - who is from Paisley but lives in Hong Kong - says he would invest the money again.
The front page of the Evening Express hails a "brave mum" who tackled a fire in a high-rise block of flats in Aberdeen.
Musician Jack White of the White Stripes bought an Edinburgh busker a guitar after a drunk woman smashed his in the street, the Edinburgh Evening News reports.