Larry's Lunchette

I’ve moved past the stage of pretending that this pandemic won’t reach Scotland; I now accept that this is a serious crisis, which may even come to define our era. Rather than dwell on the daily stats i.e. my own prospect of survival – I’ve been wondering if this disruption has any possible benefits.

In the first place, I think the pandemic will expose both Johnston and Trump; they are both brilliant populist campaigners and self-promoters – but with so many lives at risk, the voters will want ‘grown-ups’ in charge. Also, our magnificent NHS is not sustainable unless we each reduce our demands and expectations; the pandemic may advance this realisation. Also, technological progress will gradually make it necessary to give every citizen some money, independent of any work they do; the expected relaxation of sick pay rules could ‘familiarise’ such mechanisms. Of course, in the face of anticipated death tolls, any benefits are marginal; as ‘lockdown’ spreads, so will fear; those who can, will try to steady the ship.

Personally, I feel fortunate that the prospect of ‘self-isolation’ has no major concerns for me; I have a country cottage and garden – good heat and food – I don’t feel the need for much more – lucky laddie. Over many years, I’ve accumulated dozens of pot plants, which I ‘browsed’ on Sunday. Most are still winter  dormant, but in one nine-inch pot, seven different species of tiny plants have self-seeded: a wee miracle. I’ve brought it indoors for a while – this example of the triumphant life force: a timely metaphor.

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Only three days after I wrote the intro-column (above), the national sense of urgency has risen noticeably; it’s difficult to find anything in the media that is not about the virus and its damage to the economy. Ian Macwhirter writes: “poverty kills people too” – that we need to put the economy onto a kind of war footing – with deep state involvement. Money needs to get into people’s pockets, and fast; what we did for the banks in 2008, we now need to do for the people. Like me, he believes it will come to some kind of universal payment to needy citizens – to prevent a spending lockdown. (Ian Blackford’s letter to PM) What’s already happening to airlines, restaurants hotels etc could destroy the economy within a couple of months.

This is a powerful ‘social distancing’ graphic.

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A Local Governance Review was jointly launched in December 2017 by Scottish Govt and COSLA; new legislation was intended around the sharing of power between Central and Local Govt. and communities. This is a May 2019 summary of related community consultation called Democracy Matters. Thursday 12^th March (last week) was meant to be the launch of the next stage of the Democracy Matters conversation – the piloting of some new models of community governance – but, at the last minute, the launch was postponed, over some disagreement! COSLA President, Alison Evison, is known as a doughty defender of the powers of Local Govt. against a ‘centralising’ Holyrood: but ‘amid their jousting’, Community empowerment gets lost; repeated delays place this initiative in danger of simply petering out.

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The relative merits of large and small housing associations is an important debate for the direction of travel of Scotland’s third sector: it’s about the integrity of local economies. I’m strongly biased in favour of the small, locally-owned model – which matures into a generic ‘anchor’ organisation for the development of a particular locality: housing as the core of multiple social enterprises. Good analysis by Mark McLintock of Main St Consulting – he’s more objective than me.

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Bernie Saunders seems certain to fail to win the Democratic nomination for president, but his followers are not about to go away. ‘The Future of Socialism in America’ – an engrossing longer read in the FT mag.

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I learned much from this interview (2010) with my favourite Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh

“Love, in Buddhism, always begins with yourself, before the manifestation of the other person in your life…True love does not just choose one person. When true love is there, you shine like a lamp. You don’t just shine on one person in the room. That light you emit is for everyone in the room. If you really have love in you, everyone around you will profit—not only humans, but animals, plants, and minerals. Love, true love, is that. True love is equanimity.”

Over and above the primary concerns for people’s wellbeing over the months ahead, our sector is also facing a time of uncertainty and disruption as a result of the coronavirus. In response, many national bodies are taking a lead in seeking to respond to some of the challenges that inevitably will lie ahead. Scottish Govt announced on Wednesday a series of funding initiatives to support the sector over the coming months. As more details emerge, we will be in touch with SENs and their members with updates on these initiatives – how/where to apply; core criteria etc. Much of the information will be found on SCVO’s newly established Covid-19 Third Sector Information Hub. Over the weeks ahead, Senscot, like so many others, will be operating a ‘home-working’ policy. Whilst this will have an obvious impact on what we are able to do, all staff are available online/by phone etc – and we will look to share as much new and relevant information as we possibly can. For updates on all of the above, see new Webpage

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