TORIES are trying to start a #ThankYouRishi hashtag after Nicola Sturgeon announced a £500 payment for full-time NHS staff and adult social care workers in Scotland.
During her SNP conference closing speech, the First Minister revealed that the Scottish Government will fund the one-off £500 thank-you payment for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.
However while Holyrood ministers can make the payment, they don’t have the powers to make it tax-free.
Sturgeon urged the Prime Minister to act so health and care workers can receive the cash tax-free, but the Treasury rejected the request.
READ MORE: Explained: Who's eligible for the £500 NHS Scotland Covid 'thank you' payment
Now Scottish Tories want people in Scotland to directly thank Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the UK Government for the cash.
In a brass-necked social media post, the party wrote: “Thank you to all NHS and social care workers, from the @ScotTories and @RishiSunak.
“UK Government spending means Scottish NHS and social care workers will get a £500 bonus.
“Join us in saying #ThankYouRishi.”
Thank you to all NHS and social care workers, from the @ScotTories and @RishiSunak.
— Scottish Conservatives (@ScotTories) December 1, 2020
UK Government spending means Scottish NHS and social care workers will get a £500 bonus.
Join us in saying #ThankYouRishi pic.twitter.com/BwcxQEpsDL
People were astounded by the post, which generated hundreds of responses.
SNP staffer Rosa Zambonini succinctly summed up a lot of the reaction.
“You lot are a pure Beamer!!!! Like literally a properly brass neck. You [100%] know this tweet is going to be deleted when the Tories in England don’t do the same thing and you get a massive row of your Brit HQ team for peddling pure BS that they can’t live up to in the rest of UK.”
READ MORE: Free school meals: Tories try to claim credit for SNP pledge
Others reminded the party that the money does not belong to Sunak and the UK Government. Shocking news: Scotland actually contributes a significant amount to UK finances …
“How low can you lot go? Why doesn't your party do this for all NHS England employees then?” another user asked.
Presumably because the Tories have better things to spend money on – at the moment that seems to be billions on MoD funding or delayed transport projects in the south of England?
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