Sturgeon 'incredulous' as Boris Johnson fails to attend Cobra meetings

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says she is “incredulous” neither the UK Prime Minister nor the Chancellor attended Sunday evening’s COBRA meeting to discuss the Omicron coronavirus variant. 

The First Ministers comments were made in response to news the UK Government says it is doubling the amount of additional funding available for the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, announced on Sunday.

According to the UK Treasury, this means the devolved administrations can now spend an additional £860 million, increased from the initial £430 million announced earlier this week.

The Scottish Government will receive £440m on top of its Autumn Budget 2021 funding, with Wales receiving £270m and Northern Ireland £150m.

In a tweet on Sunday evening, Sturgeon wrote: “Before we get spin on ‘doubling’:

“1/ the £220m announced last week was NOT new or additional (it was actually £48m less than we had been expecting).

“Seeking confirmation if this new £220m is additional (though if so £48m will just make up last w/k loss) & if it has to be repaid.

“2/ to the extent it is new/additional, @scotgov will make sure it goes in full to helping business and the overall Covid effort.

“As infections soar and businesses suffer, we still need much more urgency in action and support from UK Gov - so that devolved government’s hands (are) not tied.

“To that end, it was disappointing and frustrating that neither the PM nor the Chancellor attended this evening’s COBRA.”

A spokesperson for Nicola Sturgeon added: “The First Minister was utterly incredulous to discover neither the Prime Minister nor the Chancellor were on today’s COBR call. That is three COBR calls in succession that they have not attended.

 “The meeting itself focussed on the mounting figures for the Omicron variant and on the impact the variant will have on staffing across both the public and private sectors.

“The First Minister made clear that she believed that these serious impacts should not be accepted as inevitable and that we should all focus on action to avoid that happening in the first place.

 “Treasury ministers revealed that they were now able to commit to some limited further funding. This is welcome. The reality, however, appears to be that this is not additional and is simply a form of ‘advance’ on funding that would have come to Scotland anyway. We are seeking urgent clarity on this.

 “We need more urgency, greater clarity and faster action from the UK. The need is real and the need is now. In the face of the clear advice of public health experts, it is impossible to understand why the UK still refuses to act.”