Neil McIntosh Editor of The Scotsman

Dear reader,

It's been another busy political week, and it's clear many of you are unimpressed by what you've been seeing. An exclusive Scotsman poll, out today, finds the vast majority of Scots think Boris Johnson should resign over "partygate", and another majority - albeit smaller - think the whole episode has done damage to the Union.

That was a theme first picked up by Scotland on Sunday columnist Euan McColm, in one of our top-ranked opinion pieces this week. Readers are also spending plenty of time today with Joyce McMillan, who reckons Boris Johnson's political career has benefited from his comic persona - but that nobody is laughing now.

A time requiring serious leadership

Personally, I found the spectacle unfolding this week to be dispiriting and worrying - after all, this remains a time of very serious concerns, from Russia's threat towards Ukraine to the continuing pandemic, for which we need serious leadership.

We think it's time ministers moved to deal with the Johnson problem. But, at the time of writing, it appears he may stagger on for a while yet. We'll keep you posted on whatever happens next.

In Scotland, there has been good news: continuing cautious optimism on Covid means restrictions might continue to unwind.

But, as Conor Matchett's exclusive story uncovered, the Scottish Government has remained frustratingly, and unlawfully, keen on keeping certain vital data away from the public gaze.

Only by seeing that data can a broader community understand, better, the decisions that have been made - especially important when civil liberties are being curtailed in the name of saving lives. We'll continue to dig away.

Scotland's Six Nations squad is revealed 

In sport, Graham Bean brought you news of the Scotland squad for the Six Nations tournament, starting early next month against England at Murrayfield. It features six new faces, who Graham has also profiled.

And, with those restrictions loosening, it'll be wonderful to be back in a full Murrayfield, enjoying some world-class sporting action. You can look forward to some similarly excellent coverage of the tournament in The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday, online and in print.

Looking ahead to the weekend

Whatever you're doing this weekend, I hope you'll find time for our brilliant Saturday package tomorrow, in which you'll find plenty of inspiration. There's an interview with actor Vicky McClure, star of the new ITV drama Trigger Point, and some wonderful jewellery made by women taking part in the groundbreaking Flourish Project in Edinburgh.

Alongside that, you'll find our usual excellent arts and books coverage, tips on how to run a marathon in Outdoors, and spiky opinion in Perspective. It should be a lively read.
Finally, I hope you'll consider becoming a subscriber from just £3 a month. 

Best wishes,

Neil McIntosh

Editor, The Scotsman