INACTION from the Tory government will make the Omicron crisis facing the UK “much worse”, the First Minister has said.
Nicola Sturgeon hit out at Boris Johnson’s administration after it rejected calls for an urgent meeting to discuss financial support for businesses amid record highs of coronavirus cases.
The SNP leader had called for the “urgent engagement of the Prime Minister and the Chancellor” to deal with the Omicron variant and the grave threat it poses to the economy.
Sturgeon said she had raised the issue of financial support to fight Omicron with Michael Gove at a Cobra meeting, but called for more senior Tories to engage.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon writes urgent plea to Boris Johnson over Covid support
However, Rishi Sunak has been away in California while Johnson fights fires within his own camp as further stories break about lockdown-busting parties at No10.
Asked if the UK Government planned to heed the calls and meet with Sturgeon to discuss the urgent issue, a Downing Street spokesperson told journalists there weren’t “any calls or meetings to update you on”.
They added: “We accept it’s a difficult time for businesses in particular the hospitality sector, which is why we have the range of support schemes that are in place and we will continue to respond proportionately to the change in path of the virus.”
Responding to the dismissal of her calls for urgency on Twitter, the First Minister said that “UK Government inaction now will make this next phase of the Covid crisis much worse than it needs to be”.
She went on: “If we don’t control infections, more people will suffer, the NHS will be overwhelmed, and cancellations/staff absences will leave businesses unable to operate/make money. Instead of the chaos of inaction, we need a managed response.”
The Scottish leader called on the UK Government to follow her lead and urge people to cut social contact to a minimum, and offer compensation to affected businesses “if necessary”.
The Edinburgh government has pledged two funds of £100 million each to separately support business and support people who need to self-isolate. However, industry has warned that this is only a “drop in the ocean”.
Sturgeon added: “Devolved governments have no mechanism to trigger financial support at this scale - only [the Treasury] can. Notwithstanding reports of a refusal, I hope the PM will agree to talks as a matter of urgency.
“Urgent action is needed to protect the NHS, lives and livelihoods.”
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