On the Pest and podcast, with COVID infections rising fast across swathes of Northern England,

when will Boris Johnson follow

Nicholas Sturgeon's lead and close down pubs and restaurants in the northeast, the northwest

and Yorkshire Humber? Also, what impact on the US president election will there be of

the way, the extraordinary way, in which the US president election will there be of the way, extraordinary way, in which the US

president, Donald Trump, dealt with his own COVID-19 illness. So much to talk about with Ruth

Davidson, used to be the leader of the Scottish Tory party and now leads them in the Scottish Parliament.

Lisa Nandi, the shadow foreign secretary,

and the distinguished Republican commentator,

actually a former advisor to a US Vice President, Bill Crystal.

Also joining me, Andrea Ledson,

the former candidate to be Tory party leader,

former cabinet minister, and Ruth Smeath, who was, until the last

election, a Labour MP.

So, delighted to be joined by Ruth Smith and Andrea Ledson. Andrew, if I could just start with

you. I mean, very stark numbers, rates of infection, far higher in many areas of the northwest and indeed the northeast,

than in Scotland, where today, you know, the First Minister has announced much more serious restrictions on the way of life of Scottish people than we've got in the north of England.

Pubs and restaurants closed, for example,

or closing across a whole belt of central Scotland.

In your view, does that mean that she's gone too early?

Or that actually Westminster, Boris Johnson,

needs to get a move on and introduce new measures in the

...