‘Co-operation?’ Patel hits out at SNP’s cheap jibe as she opens up on new border rules

Priti Patel: UK co-operation has been ‘strong’ on travel

Priti Patel insisted that a number of measures have been put in place at UK borders to stop the spread of coronavirus. SNP’s Joanna Cherry asked her: “It’s simply not accurate to say there has been a comprehensive strategy in place since January 2020 and it’s really quite extraordinary that a Home Secretary previously obsessed with stopping people from entering the country should have taken so long to properly address Covid problems at the UK border.

“As the Home Secretary knows, I wrote to her in April and May last year asking for comprehensive measures at the border and I referred to the other measures that had been introduced in Europe and across the world.

“Last week, the Home Secretary admitted that we should have closed our borders earlier so why did she fail to take precautions that she knew were needed?

“What stopped her, was it her cabinet colleagues and if so, why didn’t she resign and speak out?

“Finally, it’s good that four-nation discussions are taking place but it’s the Home Office that collects passenger data and the UK border force reports to the Home Office. Can she confirm that all proper cooperation will be afforded to the devolved Government going forward?”

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Priti Patel hit out at SNP MP Joanna Cherry (Image: PTV)

Joanna Cherry grilled the Home Secretary on her border policy at the beginning of the Covid pandemic (Image: PTV)

Ms Patel told MPs: “I think it’s fair to say the right honourable lady and I will disagree on a number of things including her opening remarks around the Government strategy.

“I already outlined the range of measures that have been undertaken but I would just like to reflect on the honourable lady has made about cooperation across the four nations.

“She will be very well aware that cooperation has taken place from the outset through travel corridors, border force across the UK and if I may say, they do that incredibly well.

“Earlier on last year, I visited our border force officers both in Edinburgh and Glasgow so, the cooperation is incredibly strong and measures may change as they have done throughout this pandemic.”

Priti Patel insisted that a number of measures have been put in place at UK borders (Image: PTV) Priti Patel hits out at Labour MP Sultana for ‘jaded’ views

It comes as the SNP criticised Health Secretary Matt Hancock for using the Downing Street coronavirus press conference to argue the “UK is stronger together” in the pandemic.

Amid signs of rising support for Scottish independence, Mr Hancock stressed the importance of collaboration between the nations in the fight against Covid-19 during the health briefing.

He told the press conference in No 10 on Monday that the Scottish Ambulance Service put out an appeal for extra help over the weekend and other nations “stepped forward”.

Mr Hancock said: “Our health systems across the UK routinely work closely together offering support when it’s needed, and from vaccines to ambulance services we are stronger together.

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Coronavirus new strain mapped (Image: EXPRESS)

“And the UK is stronger together in the fight against this pandemic.”

The Scottish Government’s Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham accused Mr Hancock of using the briefing to make “overtly political statements about the Union”.

She argued that SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon would face “fury” if she used her briefings to do the same.

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.”