NICOLA Sturgeon has blasted the Tories, accusing them of “utterly disgraceful” behaviour after they called for Health Secretary Jeane Freeman to be sacked.
The Tories made the call after an administrative error led to 18,000 shielded Scots being accidentally sent a letter saying it would be safe to go outside today. The actual date that should have been on the letter - sent by the NHS National Services in April - is June 18.
In a statement sent out this morning, Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw said: “Jeane Freeman was already on borrowed time before coronavirus hit.
“But as this crisis has unfolded, a number of issues have unfolded on her watch which were completely avoidable, and enough is enough.
“The testing structure under the SNP has been a disaster, to the point where care homes have been left in the lurch, and now she can’t even say when hospital staff will be routinely tested.
“The misplaced loyalty shown by the First Minister to her health secretary is having a negative impact on the NHS.
“A litany of problems had built up before, not least infection deaths of children at the SNP’s flagship hospital in Glasgow, and the continued unacceptable delays of the new Sick Kids in Edinburgh.
“These have been compounded by a dismal performance during the pandemic too.
“Nicola Sturgeon has to take the blinkers off and find someone who can actually get on top of these problems.”
Asked about the Tory leader’s comments, the First Minister said calling for the health secretary to be sacked in the middle of a pandemic was “just party politics at its worst”.
Speaking at the daily coronavirus briefing, Sturgeon said: “I think the Scottish Tories’ statement this morning is absolutely and utterly disgraceful. But unfortunately, I don't find it surprising, and I say this more in sorrow than in anger.
“For the last few weeks the Scottish Tories have seemed to me to be not very interested at all in the real issues that we are grappling with and dealing with here.
"They have seemed to me to be interested only in party politics and trying to undermine a health secretary who is literally working around the clock to deal with the most difficult issue that any of us have ever dealt with, and actually I think that kind of approach says more about the Scottish Tories than it does about the health secretary, or about the Scottish Government, and I would say they should be ashamed of themselves but I'm not entirely sure they have any shame. based on the statement this morning.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel