MATT Hancock has come under fire for using the Downing Street coronavirus press conference to argue the “UK is stronger together in the fight against” coronavirus.

During the Downing Street press conference, the Health Secretary was questioned about Scottish independence and asked if his performance, and that of his colleagues, over the past year, had helped or hindered the case for the union.

Hancock replied: “The case for the union is undoubtedly strengthened by the work that we’ve done and shown how over this pandemic we’re stronger together as one United Kingdom.”

He highlighted the vaccine rollout programme across the UK, which is the “fastest” in the world after Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Hancock added: “That’s a sign of what the UK can do when we pull together.”

Addressing people in Scotland considering the independence question, he said: “We’re so much stronger together.

“It means an awful lot to me and my English UK colleagues, in the UK Government, that we are one union that can pull together when things get difficult.”

At the weekend, a new poll was the 20th in a row to show majority support for Yes, with 52% of people saying they want indyref2.

The Panelbase poll, commissioned by The Times, also revealed a majority of Scots (50%) also want a referendum to be held in the next parliamentary term at Holyrood, with 43% opposed to that idea.

The poll puts the independence vote on 49%, with 7% of voters undecided. With the don’t knows removed, that’s a 52% to 48% majority.

READ MORE: Stunning new poll is 20th in a row to put majority for independence ahead

Hancock also said the vaccine rollout was a “real example of this country firing on all cylinders”.

An SNP spokesman said: “Covid briefings should be for important public health information only and overtly political statements very much risk diluting the strength of these crucial health messages.

Nicola Sturgeon strenuously avoids making political points at her daily coronavirus briefings – but the fact the Tories feel the need to try and use this crisis to try and make constitutional arguments shows how deeply rattled they are by the opinion polls, which say independence is clearly becoming the settled will of the people of Scotland.”

READ MORE: Richard Walker: Unionists will never think it's the right time for indyref2

SNP MP Roseanna Cunningham hit out at Hancock for using "overtly political statements".

She tweeted: "At Westminster Covid briefing just there, Matt Hancock chose to make overtly political statements about the union. Cannot imagine the fury if @NicolaSturgeon chose to do the same thing."

Nicola Sturgeon has stressed throughout the pandemic that her response to the crisis has nothing to do with constitutional or political issues, but is completely rooted in public health needs.

The FM criticised journalists for using the briefing to ask her about Scottish independence during the pandemic.

READ MORE: Indyref2 was brought up at today's briefing - here's how Nicola Sturgeon responded

In July, a reporter asked the SNP leader for her views on the weekend’s Panelbase poll showing support for Scottish independence is at 54%. It was the second consecutive survey on the matter to put Yes support sitting at that exact figure.

The journalist asked Sturgeon: “Yesterday Sir John Curtice said the Sunday Times poll demonstrated that many Scots during the coronavirus crisis have started to wake up to the power of devolution for the first time in 20 years, it may have made them hungry for more powers – so in light of that, looking back should you have chartered a different course in early March from the four-nations action plan.

“And looking forward, will you put in your manifesto a pledge to ask for a second referendum in 2021?”

Sturgeon made her view on the line of questioning clear. “This is a briefing to update the Scottish public on coronavirus and I’m not going to go into other issues,” she replied quickly.

“You asked me if I was going to put something in my manifesto,” the First Minister continued. “This is not an opportunity for me to talk about elections or manifestos and I’m just not going to do that.

“This is an opportunity. It’s really important that people watching these briefings whatever their politics, whatever their views on the Scottish constitutional question, they can listen to the Scottish Government update them and answer questions on coronavirus and I’m not going to take this briefing down that political or constitutional road.”

And in November last year Peter MacMahon from ITV border asked the First Minister about Ian Blackford saying indyref2 will be held in 2021.

READ MORE: 'This is a Covid briefing': Nicola Sturgeon hits back at journalist for indyref2 comments

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday National, MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber said he understood people’s frustration over recent months as they recoiled at Scotland’s treatment at the hands of Boris Johnson’s Tory government, but now was the time for the Yes movement to come together, respect each other and listen to each others’ points of view.

The FM said: "I think my views on independence are well known. This is not the forum for me to go into them in detail. When we get to the point where we're sending out plans and a manifesto for the election, I will set out my thoughts on the timing of that. I've made that clear but I'm not getting any further into that today. This is a Covid briefing."