Jacob Rees-Mogg has called Nicola Sturgeon “Moan-a-lot” following her remarks that Boris Johnson should not be making a non-essential journey to Scotland.
Mr Johnson arrived in Scotland this morning where he has been visiting the Lighthouse Laboratory in Glasgow and other Covid-response sites.
The trip has been criticised by the SNP, with the party’s Commons spokesman Tommy Sheppard telling MPs that the Prime Minister is “more than capable of patronising us from his office in Whitehall”.
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Speaking ahead of the PM’s visit, Ms Sturgeon said: “I would say me travelling from Edinburgh to Aberdeen to visit a vaccination centre right now is not essential, and Boris Johnson travelling from London to wherever he is in Scotland to do the same is not essential.
“If we’re asking other people to abide by that, then I’m sorry but it’s probably incumbent on us to do likewise.”
However, Commons leader Mr Rees-Mogg has insisted the Prime Minister’s visit is “something we should be proud of as a nation”.
He said: “Well, I used to think that Moan-a-lot was a fictional character, but it turns out it’s actually the First Minister of Scotland.
“All Ms Sturgeon can ever do is moan a lot. She moans when distinguished royal personages visit Scotland, she moans when the Prime Minister visits Scotland, people doing their duty, doing their job.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson is 'absolute asset' to Union as PM makes first visit to Scotland of 2021
“And the visit to Livingston is something we should be proud of as a nation, visiting a vaccine factory, a factory that has made enormous strides to develop, produce a vaccine that is waiting approval to help in the fight against Covid.
“The Prime Minister is doing his job, and ‘Moanalot’ will have something to moan about in early February when (Alex) Salmond gives evidence to a committee of inquiry in the Scottish Parliament and we find out all that is going on up north to the disadvantage of the Scottish people led by a hopeless administration.”
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