FMQs: Nicola Sturgeon scolds 'shameless' Douglas Ross over Covid politicking

Speaking at First Minister's Questions, the Scottish Tory leader pressed John Swinney after he mistakenly said the wrong date for when changes to business Covid guidance comes into effect.

Sturgeon hit out at Ross, saying the UK Government must immediately sort out a financial package for the UK.

MSPs shouted “shameless” at Ross but he defended his actions, arguing he was “trying to make sure that money that has been made available gets to businesses who need it".

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon calls for urgent meeting with Boris Johnson over Omicron

Sturgeon said: "Let me just come back to central point Omicron is currently raging around this country, it is doubling every two to three days.

"Every 24 hours matters in terms of saving people's lives and protecting the health service.

"So that is why we are going really fast and we are communicating with business organisations as we go."

Douglas Ross said Scottish businesses need clarity over Covid funding

Sturgeon said the Scottish Tory leader is entitled to "scrutinise me over anything he wants"

But she added: "Whether the Deputy First Minister accidentally said tomorrow instead of today, I've now clarified it is today.

"I'm not sure that's the most important thing we face right now."

Sturgeon also said the Scottish Government had to find £100m from its own budget after it emerged Treasury funding for Covid was not new, but an advance on existing cash.

READ MORE: Has UK really had the best Covid vaccine rollout and economy in G7?

She continued: "And lastly, presiding officer, we will get the £100m, that with great difficulty we have managed to find from other budgets as quickly as we can.

"When I last stood in this chamber we heard the Treasury was going to give us additional money.

"Douglas Ross seemed to think that was a great wheeze. I will leave others to think whether it's wheezes we should be focusing on right now.

"What we know is we are poorer after that Treasury announcement than we thought we were before.

Rishi Sunak has been urged to get behind his desk and sort out a Covid relief package for firms

"We'll get the money as quickly as possible but £100m is not enough money for these businesses, which is why we need the Chancellor and the Prime Minister to do their jobs and to get proper financial support in place for businesses as quickly as possible."

Sturgeon also has demanded Rishi Sunak be at “his desk” to put together a financial support package for firms.

It comes as the Chancellor faces criticism for unions for being “missing in action” on a four-day official trip to California just as businesses are warning of “mass cancellations” in the run-up to Christmas.

Responding to a question from Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross on business support, Sturgeon said UK Government needs to step up and provide the financial support that firms need.

READ MORE: Scotland's Omicron guidance 'much clearer' than UK's, says top health expert

Ross said “livelihoods are at risk” and called on the Scottish Government to issue clarity around business support.

Sturgeon replied: “What I think businesses need more than anything right now is the Chancellor of the Exchequer at his desk putting the financial support schemes in place that will stop them going to the wall because the fact is right now if we act, then that has implication for businesses, and they must be compensated.

"But if we don’t act that possibly has even bigger implications for businesses.

“I take my responsibilities really seriously. I hope to speak to the Prime Minister this afternoon if he makes himself available, so that we can work together to as we did previously in this pandemic to put in place the support for businesses so that all of us can make sure we are doing everything we can to protect human health and life.”