Former First Minister calls for more 'unity' in repose to COVID-19

Former First Minister Jack McConnell has called for more "unity' in repose to COVID-19, including for one tracing app across the United Kingdom.

Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale told ITV Border's Representing Border it would be "nonsense' to have different apps north and south of the Border.

The former Labour first minister said this was necessary because people travel across the England-Scotland border for both work and family reasons.

Lord McConnell said: "I think there is a need for a bit more unity, not just in messaging but in the systems that are put in place.

"I'm particularly concerned about these apps. Of course the decisions need to be made autonomously...but I do think we should be having one tracing app across the whole of the UK."

At her daily media conference today the current First Minister, the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon, expressed caution over the app, saying there were questions about the data it would measure and whether it would enhance the tracing plans.

Ms Sturgeon added: "There is some work to do before we get to that stage."This afternoon at Holyrood the Scottish government's health secretary Jeane Freeman - who previously worked for Mr McConnell when Labour was in power at Holyrood - said she was looking for more information on the app from the UK government.

Ms Freeman told MSP: "Questions I have been repeatedly been asking have not been answered. Until I get my questions answered I can not make a decision."

Former Scottish Secretary and Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell has warned the system should not be "any more complicated than it needs to be."