SCOTTISH Conservative MP Andrew Bowie has claimed Scots will share his “astonishment” that the SNP would oppose a hike to National Insurance (NI) contributions as it will mean more money for Scotland.

The Tory’s claim came in a question to the Prime Minister as the SNP and Tories clashed over a proposed rise of 1.25% increase in National Insurance.

Handing Boris Johnson an easy answer, Bowie asked: “Will [the Prime Minister] confirm that as a result of this announcement today the Scottish National Health Service will receive billions of extra pounds in funding.

“And does he share my astonishment, and I’m sure the astonishment of the people of Scotland, at the remarkable reaction of the SNP today, who it seems to be because they haven’t asked for it, they don’t want Scotland’s NHS to get this extra funding.”

The Barnett formula means that Scotland should be apportioned extra funds based on what is spent in England, not on how much NI contributions raise.

The UK Government claimed Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would in total receive an additional £2.2 billion in additional health and social care spending from the levy.

The SNP leader at Westminster Ian Blackford visibly objected to Bowie's claims, but he was inaudible.

Blackford's party had opposed the NI rise, saying it would “cement inequality and push families even further into hardship and crisis”.

They hit out at the Tory government for imposing the increase just as they plan to cut Universal Credit by more than £1000 per year.

“Scotland is being shafted with a new Tory poll tax being imposed against our will,” they added.

Bowie ignored the SNP’s objection to how the funding for social care would be raised in his question, in response to which the Prime Minister said: “Brilliantly and succinctly put.

“Do they want the money or not? Do the people of Scotland want the investment in their healthcare and social care or not?

“There’s more money coming to Scotland, let’s hope they spend it wisely.”

Johnson suggested through the debate that any funds passed on through Barnett consequentials should be spent by the devolved administrations on health and social care. However, he insisted this would be their choice to make.

His statements may have gone some way to answering worries raised by the SNP’s shadow chancellor, Alison Thewliss. She noted how Johnson had said he would “direct how money raised by his National Insurance hike is spent” in the devolved nations.

She had called this a sign of “utter disrespect and disregard for devolution”.