Strength of UK is key to Covid recovery, Johnson
●Prime Minister says nation expects ‘mutual co-operation’ in time of crisis
Boris Johnson has insisted all Scots “expect mutual co-operation” across the UK ahead of his first visit north of the Border in six months.
Speaking ahead of his visit to Scotland today, the Prime Minister said the crisis had shown the strength of the UK and that working collaboratively had helped save lives and livelihoods.
But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described Mr Johnson’s trip as “nonessential” during the Covid lockdown and urged him not to travel. 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.
“Mutual co-operation across the UK throughout this pandemic is exactly what the people of Scotland expect and it is what I have been focused on.
“The people of the UK have stood together during this pandemic – from our doctors and nurses in our hospitals to our shop workers, scientists, lorry drivers and teachers. Working together as one truly United Kingdom is the best way to build our Covid recovery.”
Mr Johnson also highlighted the financial contributions made by the UK Government and its support for Scottish business. He said: “We have pulled together to defeat the virus, providing £8.6 billion to the Scottish Government to support public services whilst 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. That’s how we are delivering for the people of Scotland so we can ensure the strongest possible recovery from the virus.”
As well as financial support, the british armed forces in Scotland are helping
establish 80 new vaccine centres, and more than 415,000 people have already been vaccinated in Scotland.
Downing Street officials said the UK Government had deliveredmore than one million rapid lateral flow test kits to Scotland sofa rand is funding testing sites across the country including seven drive-through centres, 27 walk-through sites and 21 mobile testing units, along with the Lighthouse Lab in Glasgow.
Westminster cash has provided 62 percent of testing kits in Scotland, Number 10 added.
In a statement issued ahead of today’s visit, Downing Street cited the fact that a third of scottish ambulance calls were being taken by centre sin england last weekend, following a high level of staff absence for call handler sin the scottish ambulance Service related toc ovid -19, as an example of ongoing mutual aid.
But earlier yesterday, ms sturgeon called for the Prime Min to ister to consider whether a trip north was vital and suggested there should not be different rules for the public and politicians.
At the Scottish Government’s daily coronavirus briefing, she said: “I would say me travelling from edinburgh to aberdeen to visit a vaccination centre right now is not essential, and Boris Johnson travelling from London to wherever he is [going] in Scotland to do the same is not essential.
"I am not and never would be saying that boris johnson is not welcome in Scotland – he's the Prime Minister of the UK.
“But we're living in a global pandemic right now. Every day I look down the camera and say ‘don't travel unless it is really essential, work from home if you possibly can’ and that has to apply to all of us.
“We have a duty to lead by example and if we are going to suggest that we don't take these rules as seriously as we should, it gets harder to convince other people. That's why I'm perhaps not ecstatic about the thought of the Prime Minister visiting, it's not because he's not welcome.”
Current regulations put in place by the Scottish Government state that only people making essential journeys across the Border are allowed to enter scotland, in a bid to stop the spread of corona virus. similar regulations are also in place to stop travel across council boundaries.
Ms Sturgeon, who earlier this week accused the Conservative Party leader of being "frightened of democracy" for refusing to grant another independence referendum, said the visit was not discussed with her in advance but that she was sure the Prime Minister's advisers would ensure he “wasn' t breaking any laws ”.
She also said she questioned the nature of her own visits.
“In Scotland right now, I'm asking myself ‘is it essential for me to visit a vaccine centre or not?’” she said.
"I would love to go to every IC [intensive care] unit in the country to personally thank those who' ve done so much for us, but it would not be essential for me to do that right now.”
A spokesperson for Mr Johnson later said it was a “fundamental role” of the prime minister “to be the physical representative of theuk government and it is right he is visible and accessible to businesses and the public in all parts of theuk, especially during this pandemic ”.
Ms Sturgeon also said she is "truly sorry" for any mistakes that have been made after the UK'S coronavirus death toll passed the 100,000 mark on Tuesday.
She confirmed 5,888 people have died in Scotland within 28 days of a positive test, while there have been 7,902 deaths from confirmed or suspected Covid-19.
Ms Sturgeon said Scotland had recorded 92 deaths of corona virus patients and 1,330 new cases of covid-19 in the previous 24 hours.
She led a moment of silence" in memory of all those who have died in this pandemic so far" and said the death toll should make all political leaders "think very hard about what more we could have done and what lessons we must continue to learn".
Ms Sturgeon added: "I know that I, and everyone in my Government,have tried everyday to do everything we possibly can.
"But I don't think any of us, reflecting on numbers like these, can conclude that we have always succeeded.
"And for any mistakes we have made, firstly I take responsibility for that, and I am - and I always will be - truly sorry for any mistakes we have made or for any reflections that we could have done things differently."
In a message to people who are grieving the deaths of friends and family from coronavirus, the First Minister added: "I know that this won' t be any consolation to you at all, but nevertheless I do want you to know that your loss weighs heavily on me and it always will."
Ms sturgeon said 2,016 people are now in hospital confirmed to have Covid-19, up six in 24 hours.
Of these patients, 145 are in intensive care - a fall of four in the same period.
National Records of Scotland (Nrs) data shows that as of sunday ,7,902 deaths have been registered in Scotland where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
Between 18 and 24 January, 448 such deaths were registered - an increase of 75 on the previous week's fatalies.
The majority of deaths occurred in hospitals (294), while there were 111 in care homes, 35 at home or in noninstitutional settings, and eight in other institutions.
At council level, the highest number of deaths over the past week occurred in north lanarkshire (48), followed by Glasgow city (43) and Fife (33).
The NRS figures differ from the lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths announced daily by the Scottish Government using Health protection scotland data because the former includes suspected or probable cases of Covid-19.
Pete Whitehouse, NRS director of statistical services, said: "Each statistic represents heart break for families and friends across the country."