BORIS Johnson was under pressure to explain why the Treasury had reneged on a promise to give the Scottish Government £375m of additional money for the lockdown.
Yesterday morning the Chancellor unveiled a new rescue package for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses forced to close under the new restriction.
Firms forced to close down under the new restrictions will be able to apply for one-off grants of up to £9000.
READ MORE: Rishi Sunak's U-turn on Covid cash vow leaves Scotland 'short-changed'
An initial notice from the Treasury said ministers in Edinburgh would also receive an additional £375 million “on top of the increased funding which has already been guaranteed by the UK Government” to help firms not covered by the new package.
Tory MSPs and MPs took to social media to hail the announcement.
“Very welcome news for Scotland,” Douglas Ross tweeted. “An extra £375m to support businesses affected by lockdown measures. The SNP must get this extra funding out the door immediately – for many businesses their survival depends on it.”
“The UK Gov has again reacted quickly to protect jobs,” Maurice Golden tweeted.
“Scotland will receive £375m. I hope the SNP guarantees every penny will be spent immediately to help businesses cope with the new lockdown,” he added.
However, just minutes after that initial announcement, details on the Treasury’s website changed.
Instead of being new money, the Scottish Government was now receiving the £375m contribution as part of the “funding which has already been guaranteed.”
Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said she was both “surprised and disappointed” by the announcement.
During a Commons statement on the new coronavirus restrictions in London, the SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford asked the Prime Minister to promise that the money would make its way to Scotland.
“Yesterday morning, the Scottish conservatives were busy making memes about an extra £375m of Treasury support that they said was on its way to Scotland," Blackford said.
"Can the Prime Minister explained to Scottish businesses why, by the end of the day, it turned out, there was no new money at all?
"Can the Prime Minister now give a personal commitment that the Scottish Government will get this money, this new money for businesses in Scotland?”
READ MORE: Scottish Economy Secretary tells BBC they're being misled by Tories
Responding, Johnson dismissed the SNP politician’s complaints, saying the “Barnett consequentials for Scotland from the new money will of course be passed on”.
He added: “The general tenor of his questions seem to ignore the fact that the whole of the UK has benefited massively from the strength, the natural strength of the UK economy, the ability of the UK Treasury to make these commitments.
“And the mere fact that Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, that every part of the United Kingdom has received the vaccine is entirely thanks to our national NHS, and that is thanks to our United Kingdom NHS, thanks to the strength of UK companies that we are able to distribute a life saving vaccine across the whole of our country. And I think that is a point that he might bear in mind.”
Meanwhile, the SNP’s Shadow Chancellor Alison Thewliss called on the Scottish Tory leader to act.
She said: “If Douglas Ross is to salvage any credibility from this Tory shambles he must immediately get behind SNP calls for the extra £375million to be delivered without further delay. He cannot claim this additional funding is vital for the survival of businesses one day - and then go into hiding the next when his Tory government fails to deliver.
"Throughout the pandemic the UK Government has withheld crucial investment and blocked the devolution of financial powers - leaving Scotland to tackle this crisis with one hand tied behind our backs.
"Scotland shouldn't have to wait for Westminster to act. It is clearer than ever that the only way to properly protect Scotland's interests is to become an independent country - with the full powers needed to take our own decisions."
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