Following the First Minister’s decision to keep Edinburgh at level 3- I have today written a joint, cross-party letter to the First Minister
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urging her to reconsider this decision. I’m grateful to @DJohnsonMSP, @MilesBriggsMSP and @andywightman from all opposition parties, representing the city who have signed it.
The text of our letter is as follows: 2/
Dear First Minister

Your decision to keep Edinburgh in Level 3 of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions

We write to you on a cross party basis as MSPs representing the City of Edinburgh. Yesterday you announced your government’s decision to keep Edinburgh at level 3,
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the 2nd highest classification of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. We now understand that this was contrary to recommendations of public health officials who had advised you that a move to L2 would now be appropriate given the continued suppression of the virus in the capital. 4/
Edinburgh has existed at level 3 for 2 months and yet we have kept infection rates to level 2 parameters for several weeks.

In your statement yesterday, you stated that your reason for retaining Edinburgh’s Level 3 classification was your concern that the city’s
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shopping and hospitality sector would act as a magnet for people outside of the city. While all of our parties continue to support the 5 level framework for infection control and the measurements and criteria that underpin it,
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being an attractive destination for shopping and hospitality has never featured in that framework. It’s also not something that we have the power to change. Pre-Christmas shopping and revelries will give way to the January sales- there will always be a magnetism about the city.7/
Many of our constituents and local business owners are now understandably concerned that Edinburgh will exist in Level 3 for the remainder of the emergency, despite their extraordinary efforts to observe all the rules and bring infection rates down. 8/
We would never ask you to take unnecessary risks in the management of this terrible virus. That is why we support the framework wholeheartedly, but your decision has deviated from the application of that framework
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and it is now unclear under what circumstances the city would be stepped down to level 2. This will have a profound impact on the wellbeing of local citizens and the health of the city’s economy.

We urge you to reconsider the decision to keep Edinburgh at level 3.
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Yours,
Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP (Edinburgh Western)
Daniel Johnson MSP (Edinburgh Southern)
Miles Briggs MSP (Lothian)
Andy Wightman MSP (Lothian)
 
Ends

More from Politics

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First, party/policy mandates from elections are far from self-executing in our system. Work on mandates from Dahl to Ellis and Kirk on the history of the mandate to mine on its role in post-Nixon politics, to Peterson Grossback and Stimson all emphasize that this link is... 2/

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Trump's demonstrably false fraud nonsense - it derailed an emerging mandate news cycle. Winners of elections get what they get - institutional control - but can't expect much beyond that unless the perception of an election mandate takes hold. And it didn't. 4/

Let's turn to the legislation element of this. There's just an asymmetry in terms of passing a relief bill. Republicans are presumably less motivated to get some kind of deal passed. Democrats are more likely to want to do *something.* 5/

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Margatha Natarajar murthi - Uthirakosamangai temple near Ramanathapuram,TN
#ArudraDarisanam
Unique Natarajar made of emerlad is abt 6 feet tall.
It is always covered with sandal paste.Only on Thriuvadhirai Star in month Margazhi-Nataraja can be worshipped without sandal paste.


After removing the sandal paste,day long rituals & various abhishekam will be
https://t.co/e1Ye8DrNWb day Maragatha Nataraja sannandhi will be closed after anointing the murthi with fresh sandal paste.Maragatha Natarajar is covered with sandal paste throughout the year


as Emerald has scientific property of its molecules getting disturbed when exposed to light/water/sound.This is an ancient Shiva temple considered to be 3000 years old -believed to be where Bhagwan Shiva gave Veda gyaana to Parvati Devi.This temple has some stunning sculptures.
Rig Ved 1.36.7

To do a Namaskaar or bow before someone means that you are humble or without pride and ego. This means that we politely bow before you since you are better than me. Pranipaat(प्राणीपात) also means the same that we respect you without any vanity.

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Surrendering False pride is Namaskaar. Even in devotion or bhakti we say the same thing. We want to convey to Ishwar that we have nothing to offer but we leave all our pride and offer you ourselves without any pride in our body. You destroy all our evil karma.

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We bow before you so that you assimilate us and make us that capable. Destruction of our evils and surrender is Namaskaar. Therefore we pray same thing before and after any big rituals.

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तं घे॑मि॒त्था न॑म॒स्विन॒ उप॑ स्व॒राज॑मासते ।
होत्रा॑भिर॒ग्निं मनु॑षः॒ समिं॑धते तिति॒र्वांसो॒ अति॒ स्रिधः॑॥

Translation :

नमस्विनः - To bow.

स्वराजम् - Self illuminating.

तम् - His.

घ ईम् - Yours.

इत्था - This way.

उप - Upaasana.

आसते - To do.

स्त्रिधः - For enemies.

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अति तितिर्वांसः - To defeat fast.

मनुषः - Yajman.

होत्राभिः - In seven numbers.

अग्निम् - Agnidev.

समिन्धते - Illuminated on all sides.

Explanation : Yajmans bow(do Namaskaar) before self illuminating Agnidev by making the offerings of Havi.

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