A VICE chair of the UK Conservative party has apologised after failing to observe social distancing in the Scottish city currently worst affected by coronavirus.
Andrew Bowie, the Tory MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, posted a social media picture of himself and two friends drinking in an Aberdeen pub at the weekend.
Despite being less than the mandatory 1m from his companions Mr Bowie accompanied the picture with a message on following the rules on Covid.
“Great to be back in an Aberdeen pub. Let’s not let Aberdeen down again. Follow the rules and #EnjoySummerSafely,” he wrote on his Instagram post.
The MP’s office said the trio had leaned in for one picture “as is human nature”.
After a demand from the SNP for an apology, Mr Bowie this afternoon said he was sorry.
He said: "I should have been more vigilant and will take greater care to observe social distancing in future. I apologise."
Mr Bowie's conduct is unlikely to go down well with his boss, the new Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who represents the Moray seat adjoining Mr Bowie's.
Mr Ross resigned as a Scotland Office minister over the Prime Minister's top aide, Dominic Cummings, breaching the lockdown at the start of the pandemic.
Mr Bowie went for a drink after the city’s second hospitality lockdown was relaxed at the weekend.
Nicola Sturgeon today said the total number of positive cases associated with Aberdeen’s pubs had risen by two overnight to 263.
Mr Bowie, 33, was elected an MP in 2017, and served as a parliamentary private secretary to Prime Minister Theresa May in 2018 and 2019.
He was elected as one of six vice chairman of the UK Conservative Party in August 2019.
All pictured with in the Aberdeen pub were Calum Neilson, a former Youth Outreach worker at Conservative HQ in London, and Michael Kuznir, who stood for the European Parliament in Scotland last year.
During the election it emerged Mr Kuznir had written a “guide to escorts” for a student website while at Aberdeen University, recommending people try a Google search for sex rather than “physically trawl the docks of Aberdeen”.
He apologised for the “clearly unacceptable” content, which he said had been written in a “tongue-in-cheek manner and certainly do not reflect any views that I hold”.
Stephen Flynn, the SNP MP for Aberdeen South, said: “Do as I say not as I do is never a good look for an MP, particularly when the appear to have been out drinking in a city on the day that it has just exited local lockdown.
“Folk expect their MPs to set an example and rightly so - I’m glad Andrew has apologised for what was clearly a stupid mistake and I'm sure he will want to make absolutely clear just how important the rules are as we continue to fight this virus."
Scottish Greens health spokesperson Alison Johnstone said: “I’m pleased to learn that Andrew Bowie has apologised for this ill-judged post.
"A photo of friends in the pub that could have been taken pre-pandemic and a hashtag reading 'Enjoy summer safely' is the kind of mixed messaging that must be avoided.
"The best way to support Aberdeen and all our local communities is to adhere to public health guidance.”
A spokesperson for Mr Bowie's office said: "Andrew met close friends for a couple of drinks to support the local economy during a difficult time for the hospitality industry.
"They observed all social distancing and hygiene measures, leaning in for one photo, as is human nature."
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