Glasgow escaped an Aberdeen-style lockdown because it voted in favour of Scottish independence, a council leader has suggested.
Aberdeen City Council co-leader Douglas Lumsden criticised the decision to impose indoor gathering restrictions but keep pubs and restaurants open in Glasgow City, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire.
READ MORE: Glasgow lockdown: Susan Aitken slams suggestion politics helped city escape harsh restrictions
It comes just weeks after Aberdeen was forced into the country's first local lockdown, with pubs ordered to close immediately as well as a five-mile travel limit and ceasing of hospital visits.
The Tory councillor took to Twitter to criticise the move, and said: "Glasgow is a "yes" city so escapes the lockdown Aberdeen had."
In a series of further tweets, he said: I hope that @NicolaSturgeon will explain to businesses in Aberdeen that were forced to close, why Glasgow businesses are not being forced to close.
Aberdeen lockdown-
— Douglas Lumsden (@dlumsden) September 1, 2020
☑️ Hospitality closed
☑️ Travel restrictions
☑️ No household gatherings
Glasgow lockdown
☑️ No household gatherings so meet your pals in the pub instead. https://t.co/hYQcfGMNZx
"Aberdeen was locked down for three weeks, no hospitality, no travel, no visiting. Glasgow lockdown = no visiting."
He added: "Glasgow lockdown. No household gatherings so meet your pals in the pub instead."
Glasgow is a "yes" city so escapes the lockdown Aberdeen had.
— Douglas Lumsden (@dlumsden) September 1, 2020
Nicola Sturgeon announced on Tuesday that people living in Glasgow City, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire could not host people from other households in their own homes, or visit another person's home.
The First Minister defended her decision to keep pubs open, and said she understands the frustration felt by many, and that Scots will be "wondering why we have done X and not Y".
She set out the rationale and logic behind the government's decision to impose certain restrictions.
Ms Sturgeon said: "Our data suggests that spread in and between households is driving much of the transmission just now.
"That doesn’t mean there are no cases in pubs etc - but unlike in Aberdeen, pub clusters don’t appear, at this stage, to be main driver. That analysis has guided decisions based on data, clinical advice is that restricting household gatherings indoors - where it is most difficult to keep physical distance - is vital.
"Closing pubs wouldn’t be an alternative to that - but an additional measure which, for now, they don’t consider proportionate.
READ MORE: Glasgow lockdown restrictions: Here's what it means for you
"Coupled with the extended advice on isolation for anyone with potential exposure to the virus, we hope these targeted measures will be sufficient to prevent further spread - if people comply with them. However, we will need to keep situation under review.
"When we face these situations, there are no good options for those of taking decisions."
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