The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Johnson defiant after trip to Covid-hit plant branded ‘irresponsible’
Boris Johnson has defended visiting a Scottish vaccine production plant that had been hit by a Covid-19 outbreak.
The prime minister went to Valneva, in Livingston, last Thursday during a controversial trip north.
It has now been revealed the visit came just 24 hours after a public health probe at the site uncovered 14 coronavirus cases – about one in eight of the workforce.
Valneva’s chief financial officer, David Lawrence, said Downing Street had received advance warning about the outbreak – prompting furious reaction from MPs.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford branded Mr Johnson “irresponsible” and demanded to know why he went ahead with the visit.
At prime minister’s questions, he said: “Last week, we told the prime minister it was wrong for him to visit Scotland in the middle of a pandemic.
“We told him it was a non-essential visit.
“There are serious questions to answer.
“Did the prime minister and his advisers know about the Covid outbreak, when did they know and when did the prime minister make the irresponsible decision to go ahead with what was a PR stunt?
Mr Johnson responded: “I can think of few things more important than to see the rollout of the vaccination programme across this country, to encourage the wonderful companies who are doing great work across the whole of Scotland, to see the commitment of those Scottish scientists to helping us all to defeat the pandemic.
“It was fantastic to talk to them.”
Mr Blackford shot back: “What an absolute shambles.
“He’s gone to a plant where there was a Covid outbreak.
“He can’t just explain away this absolutely shocking error of judgment, anyone can see his campaign trip to Scotland was utterly, utterly reckless.”
He added: “The prime minister put politics before public health, why be so reckless?”
Mr Johnson responded by talking about the benefits of the vaccine, before adding: “Nobody raised that issue with me, before or since.”
Number 10 later defended the visit, saying it was “Covid secure”.
The prime minister’s spokesman said: “All of the PM’s visits are conducted in a Covidsecure way, we always do everything we can to ensure the risk is absolutely minimised as much as it can be.”
Asked why Mr Johnson had not been informed about the Covid outbreak, despite No 10 officials knowing, the spokesman added: “Valneva made us aware some Covid cases had previously been reported, but, as I say, I would point to the site director who said if there would have been any risk at all to either visitors or to the site they wouldn’t have allowed the visit to go ahead.”
“The prime minister put politics before public health
There seems to be no sign the politicisation of the Covid vaccine rollout is going to be brought to a halt. While every sinew of every elected member should be straining towards putting as many jabs into as many arms as possible, some cannot seem to stop themselves turning it into a political bunfight.
With a landslide election win for the SNP expected in May, plans for a second independence referendum in its aftermath are being stepped up.
That has brought howls of protestation from unionists pointing out, rightly, this is no time to be focusing on constitutional issues.
Why then, did Boris Johnson see fit to make a flying visit to a vaccine production facility in Livingston, more than 400 miles from Downing Street, for a photo opportunity and some soundbites?
It had everything to do with maintaining a visible presence in Scotland and little to do with seeing at first-hand how a vaccine is produced.
That he did so the day after a Covid-19 outbreak at the production plant borders on the unbelievable.
No MP or MSP can claim to have entirely laid aside party politics throughout the pandemic. The chance to score cheap points is too tempting.
However, it can only be counterproductive, especially when the prime minister — himself nearly a Covid victim — is taking risks with public safety to make his point.