Humza Yousaf: UK Government is distracted by Tory leadership contest
The UK Government is “distracted” from its duties due to the Tory leadership contest, Health Secretar Humza Yousaf has said.
The SNP minister said a number of Conservatives were “desperate to get their claws into Number 10” in the race to replace Boris Johnson, as coronavirus cases in the UK surge.
Last week, figures showed Scotland had the highest rates of the virus in the UK.
On Friday, the Office for National Statistics said about one in 17 people in Scotland had Covid-19 in the week up to June 29.
Mr Yousaf said he hoped the rate of increase was slowing and the current wave would soon be past its peak.
During a visit to Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, near Falkirk, on Monday, he told the PA news agency: “All of those people who either have Government jobs – important jobs within the senior cabinet level or whether it’s junior ministerial level who’ve now thrown their hat in the ring – of course, they’re going to be distracted.
“They’re going to be desperate to get their claws into Number 10 and be the person that is in charge of the Tory party for the foreseeable future.”
He added: “That’s why I’m keen that we don’t get distracted by, frankly, what is a circus down south in terms of the leadership contest and we just concentrate on the day job.”
Mr Yousaf urged people to take “sensible precautions” against the virus.
The surge in Covid cases has particularly put pressure on Scotland’s largest health board, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Last week, staff said services were “busier than ever” and hospitals were at more than 90% capacity.
Asked about this, Mr Yousaf said the last fortnight had been “amongst the most pressured two weeks of the entire pandemic”.
A number of factors including summer leave and sickness absence had come together, he said.
The Health Secretary said: “Those factors accumulated and made the last couple of weeks really, really challenging for the health service including in Greater Glasgow and Clyde.”