Mr Ross said the success of Britain’s coronavirus vaccine programme had “shown the overwhelming benefits of us working together across our Union”. The latest figures from the UK Government show more than 31 million people have had their first dose of a covid vaccine, including more than two million in Scotland. Mr Ross also hit out at the First Minister’s election campaign which focused on giving Scots another vote on staying or leaving the UK seven years after they opted to remain.
Mr Ross warned the SNP leader’s plans will “put Scotland’s recovery in jeopardy” and said the next Scottish parliament “must be 100 percent focused on” the nation’s path of the Covid pandemic.
Launching her party’s campaign on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon posed in front of a billboard showing herself alongside the slogan: “Scotland’s future is Scotland’s choice. And nobody else’s.”
In the video, she said she had done her “level best” to steer Scotland through the public health crisis and this would remain her top priority if re-elected.
But Mr Ross slated her campaign announcement, saying if it was not for the help and support of the wider UK community, Scotland would be “worse off”.
He said: “The SNP are in denial about how much worse off we would be if they had got their way and we were left out of the world-leading UK vaccine scheme.
“The vaccine rollout has exposed another glaring weakness in the nationalist argument for independence and the SNP’s plan to put another divisive referendum over our recovery.”
He hailed the “incredible success” of the UK’s vaccine rollout and said it had “shown the overwhelming benefits of us working together across our Union to emerge from the Covid crisis.”
He added: “My thanks go to our heroic NHS staff, volunteers in our communities and our armed forces who have all stepped up to deliver this astonishing achievement.
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Mr Ross also took to Twitter to tear apart her announcement.
He said she had been clear about “her reckless plans to put Scotland’s recovery in jeopardy and press ahead with indyref2.”
He stressed that a Scottish government could not effectively steer the country out of the public health crisis while also focusing on an election to break away from the UK.
He tweeted: “It’s recovery or referendum. We can’t do both.”
The Scottish Tory leader said Scotland working in partnership with the other UK nations is stronger “especially at times of crisis”.
Mr Ross said his opponent’s election announcement was “the clearest sign yet that the SNP will put another referendum before Scotland’s recovery.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was also critical of the SNP’s strategy.
He argued that “holding a referendum during the recovery would be irresponsible”.
He added: “Alongside the tragic death toll, we have taken an economic hit harder and deeper than the banking crisis.”
