Nicola Sturgeon: Scotland must ‘get rid of the whole broken corrupt Westminster system’ after Downing Street party revelations

The First Minister has labelled the actions of the UK Government in denying the Downing Street Christmas party last year as “disgusting”.

She also backed calls for the Prime Minister to resign and said Scotland must “get rid of the whole broken corrupt Westminster system”.

Nicola Sturgeon was responding to questions from Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross at FMQs on Thursday afternoon.

Ross had raised comments made by Green ministers about Shell pulling out of the Cambo oilfield development, which he described as an “insult” to oil and has workers.

Speaking on BBC’s Good Morning Scotland last week, Patrick Harvie said: “It is only the hard right who continue to deny the reality that […] new oil and gas extraction is simply not compatible with preserving our life support system.”

Ross said the comments were “disgusting,” “hurtful” and demonstrated “extreme economic views at the heart of [Sturgeon’s] government”.

But Sturgeon hit back that there were many “disgusting” actions being taken by politicians recently, but “none of them” were coming from the Scottish Government.

On North Sea jobs, she insisted the government was “committed to making sure we have a just transition away from oil and gas” and accused the Conservatives of “trying to cause concern” among workers.

Green MSP Gillian Mackay later said the UK Government “does not respect the rules it laid down for others”.

Calling for the Prime Minister to go, Mackay said: “At a time of national crisis, not only did those in his inner circle deliberately breach the very rules they had set down for the public, they’ve continually tried to cover it up and now footage shows them laughing about it while planning their excuses.

“This is no laughing matter for those of us who have lost a loved one during the pandemic. Boris Johnson has jeopardized public compliance with Covid measures.”

Sturgeon agreed, saying Johnson had “many questions to answer”.

She added: “It’s time for Scotland to get rid of the whole broken corrupt Westminster system that is holding us back. We can only do that by become in independent country.”

Also at FMQs, the First Minister was challenged again over the management of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde by Anas Sarwar.

The Scottish Labour leader said the health board chiefs had a “complacent and belligerent attitude” following concerns about infections at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

He accused Sturgeon of taking their word over the word of staff, families and patients.

The First Minister insisted that “any and all concerns” were being taken seriously and highlighted 88 per cent of recommendations made by the oversight board earlier this year had been completed.

She added: “Any member of staff who has concerns and who feels that those concerns are not being taken seriously, or that they are not being somehow allowed to speak out, should come to me or to the health secretary about that.”