We’ll beat pandemic as a Union, insists PM
BORIS Johnson will visit Scotland today to highlight the benefits of the Union in the fight against coronavirus.
But Nicola Sturgeon yesterday attacked the Prime Minister’s trip as an example of “non-essential travel”.
Ahead of his visit, Mr Johnson said: “The great benefits of co-operation across the whole of the UK have never been clearer than since the beginning of this pandemic.
“We have pulled together to defeat the virus, providing £8.6billion to the Scottish Government to support public services while also protecting the jobs of more than 930,000 citizens in Scotland.
“We have a vaccine programme developed in labs in Oxford being administered across the United Kingdom by our Armed Forces, who are helping to establish 80 new vaccine centres across Scotland. ”
The UK Government has now delivered more than one million rapid lateral flow test kits to Scotland so far.
It is also funding testing sites across the country.
Ms Sturgeon continues to push for a second referendum on Scottish independence. She questioned the timing of Mr Johnson’s visit.
The Scottish First Minister said: “I heard him do it as recently as yesterday – don’t travel unless it is really essential. Work from home if you possibly can.
“That has to apply to all of us. People like me and Boris Johnson have to be in work for reasons that I think most people understand, but we don’t have to travel across the UK as part of that.”