NICOLA Sturgeon has asked people to vote SNP in order to keep the NHS safe, highlighting the risk of putting power in Tory hands.
The First Minister highlighted the “insulting” 1% pay rise for staff being offered by the Westminster government, in comparison to the 4% on offer from the Scottish Government.
She said it is essential that people across the country ensure that they “vote to keep Scotland’s NHS in safe hands”.
Commenting while on a campaign visit to Eastwood, the SNP leader said: “In this election I am asking the people of Scotland to help me keep our NHS safe and out of Boris Johnson’s hands.
“The SNP is backing Scotland’s essential NHS workers with a 4% pay rise against the 1% on offer from the Tories at Westminster.
“If we are re-elected the SNP will use all our experience in government to implement a full-scale remobilisation of the NHS with record levels of investment.
“And we will keep the essential services helping us through Covid, like Test and Protect, in public hands, not managed by private companies.
“The Tory threat level to Scotland’s NHS from a sleaze-ridden Westminster government is real, present and at its highest ever setting.”
She added: “The Scottish Tory leader has already voted to strip robust protection for the NHS from Westminster post-Brexit trade deals and to give the Tory government powers to muscle in on the Scottish Parliament anytime they like.
“The actions of the Westminster Tory government since the Brexit vote in 2016 all add up to a serious and growing threat to our health service.
“That would be bad enough at any time, but it is critical that as we recover from Covid decisions about Scotland’s health and Scotland’s health service are in Scotland’s hands.
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