Now the Scots demand more cash handouts from Treasury

As Sturgeon announces a FIVE-TIER blueprint for new virus crackdown...

NICOLA Sturgeon has demanded even more money from Westminster to fund her new lockdown restrictions.

Scotland’s First Minister claimed the country could run out of money to prop up businesses without a cash injection.

But she was accused of using ‘manufactured grievance’ over coronavirus to continue her fight for Scottish independence.

Miss Sturgeon set out a new five-tier system for Scotland that could see some parts plunged into lockdown, with all but schools and essential shops closed.

Scotland has received £6.5billion from the UK Government in response to the crisis – more than half of all the Covid-cash handed out to devolved administrations. But Miss

‘SNP just picking a fight with Government’

Sturgeon condemned the rules that prevent Scotland borrowing money and complained that she was forced to go cap-inhand to Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

However, opposition leaders criticised her suggestion that Scottish businesses could run out of money without more help.

Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tory leader, said: ‘Scottish companies are fed up hearing about manufactured grievances. They don’t want another pre-fab SNP fight with the UK Government. They need funding, now.

‘Rishi Sunak has made a further £700million of support available. The funding is to protect Scottish jobs and support businesses.

‘So my message to the SNP is: ‘‘stop squabbling and get on with it’’.’ Businesses in Scotland which face lockdown restrictions will be able to apply for grants on top of those provided by the UK Government’s job support scheme.

Grants for £2,000 or £3,000 every four weeks would be available for firms forced to close due to lockdown measures.

Those which can remain open but cannot trade as normal can apply for funding of £1,400 or £2,100 every four weeks.

But Miss Sturgeon has warned the money will run out and called for a ‘resolution’. She demanded the same measures for Scottish firms as Mr Sunak unveiled in England yesterday. ‘The Chancellor’s commitment for England was open-ended,’ she said. ‘He is able to do that because he can borrow the money to pay for it.’

Of Scotland’s situation, she said: ‘It is not possible to fund indefinitely demand-led commitments out of a finite budget with no powers to borrow.’

The First Minister’s new tier plan was met with a furious backlash from restaurants and retailers.

The Scottish Retail Consortium said closing non-essential shops in Level Four – the highest tier – will do little to reduce virus rates.

Its director David Lonsdale said: ‘We believe any move to close nonessential retailers will have only a very minimal impact on reducing the spread of the virus, whilst carrying very significant economic harms.’

Scotland has recorded 18 deaths from coronavirus and 1,401 positive tests in the past 24 hours.