THE Scottish Tories have caused a Twitter storm after calling Nicola Sturgeon a “hypocrite” for questioning Boris Johnson’s mid-pandemic trip to Scotland.
The Prime Minister travelled hundreds of miles to Glasgow today to promote the Union’s role in the pandemic, after 20 consecutive polls showing a majority of Scots support independence.
The First Minister has asked whether the journey, coming amid a difficult time in the Covid-19 pandemic, is essential. Currently cross-Border travel is banned unless for an essential reason. Travelling for work is permitted though it should be for work which cannot be done from home.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson in Scotland: 5 quotes the Prime Minister would like forgotten
Last week it emerged the UK has the worst coronavirus death rate in the world. Days later the total death toll passed 100,000.
Responding to criticism of Johnson’s one-day visit, the Scottish Tories have been circulating photographs of Sturgeon visiting a vaccination team in a hospital without context.
Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.
— Scottish Conservatives (@ScotTories) January 28, 2021
Don't be hypocrites. https://t.co/0bG7TnrceA pic.twitter.com/bOZM6ong4r
“Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives. Don’t be hypocrites,” the party’s official Twitter account posted.
The post does not state that the photograph used was taken on December 7, prior to the national lockdown. It shows Sturgeon with the vaccination team at Edinburgh Western General hospital while the city was in level 3.
Her visit came at a landmark point in the pandemic, as staff prepared to start rolling out the Pfizer jag.
Currently all of Scotland faces strict “stay at home” restrictions. Sturgeon spoke this week about how she would like to visit mass vaccination centres being set up around Scotland, but has decided not right now as the lockdown rules apply to everyone.
Last night the Tories used pictures of the First Minister in the Western General to accuse those upset about Johnson’s visit of “kid-on outrage and hypocrisy”.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson in Scotland: Glaswegians tear into PM over mid-pandemic trip
When the Health Secretary questioned the use of the image the account defended it, saying at the time only essential journeys and essential visits were permitted to hospitals in level 3.
This afternoon they again tweeted out the photograph with no indication of its source.
Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn was quick to pick up on it. “Disinformation is gutter politics and the Tories are swimming in it.
Disinformation is gutter politics and the Tories are swimming in it. As they know, this photo of the FM was taken at the start of December. The photo of Boris Johnson was taken today - in defiance of the clear Stay At Home message. What a sorry state. https://t.co/Us3XbafBDL
— Stephen Flynn MP (@StephenFlynnSNP) January 28, 2021
“As they know, this photo of the FM was taken at the start of December. The photo of Boris Johnson was taken today - in defiance of the clear Stay At Home message. What a sorry state.”
Within an hour the post had generated dozens of responses questioning the use of the image.
The Scottish Tories have declined to comment, referring The National to a post from 14 hours and more than 30 tweets ago. In a tweet to Jeane Freeman they said: “You might want to check your own guidance from when she visited.
“Only ‘essential journeys’ in level 3 and ‘essential visits only’ to hospitals.”
The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.
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