SCOTTISH Secretary Alister Jack has denied adding to coronavirus confusion after it emerged his official website carries the advice for people in England.
Visitors to the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland website, which is part of the UK Government site, are met with a banner saying “Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Save Lives”.
In Scotland, the advice remains “Stay at Home” rather than Stay Alert.
Links on the Dumfries & Galloway MP’s constituency website also take visitors to the UK’s Stay Alert advice, which only applies south of the border.
On BBC Radio Scotland this morning, Mr Jack was asked if his advice to people in Scotland was to stay at home.
He said: “Yes, of course, that’s the Scottish Government’s message, and I agreed that in a conversation with the First Minister last week, as did and the Prime Minister.
“It’s absolutely the message in Scotland at the moment.”
Asked to explain why his department’s website used the England-only banner headline, Mr Jack did not deny it, but said some of his other webpages carried the Scottish advice.
He said: “Well, the Secretary of State’s Facebook page says Stay at Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives.
“My own personal MP Facebook has still got the same message the Scottish Government’s using, but I’d further add that the links on the Secretary of State’s page are pointing everyone to the Scottish Government’s public health advice.
“So there’s no story here. We’re still pointing people to the Scottish Government’s messaging.”
The UK Government’s Delivering for Scotland site does carry the Stay at Home message.
Mr Jack also gave an unapologetically “unionist” take on the crisis, saying the strength of the UK economy would help Scotland recover.
He said: “The UK economy is the fifth biggest in the world. It’s a very powerful economy.
“And we will recover from this more quickly than other economies because we’ve put support into people, support into businesses, kept money in their pockets, which allows us to bounce back because the consumers will have more confidence and more to spend.
“I think that’s the important thing. “We’re a very powerful economic machine in the UK.
“I know it’s a bit of a unionist message, and I’m not shying away from that, I’m not embarrassed to say it.
“But because Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, we have benefited enormously from that financial strength of the Treasury.”
He said it was “incredibly important” that the poorest in society did not pay for the recovery.
He said: “The Prime Minister is a One Nation Conservative and so am I, and we have to go forward with future budgets that don’t hit the less well-off in society the hardest.”
Pressed about reports that wage freezes, public service cuts and tax rises would be needed to pay for the coronavirus crisis, he said: “That’s pure speculation.”
Despite many SNP MPs saying they want to stay in Scotland rather than travel to the Commons, Mr Jack said he would be going to Westminster as he was a “key worker”.
He said he would be required at the despatch box for Scottish Questions next Wednesday.
He said: “I’m a key worker. I’m recognised as a key worker. The Speaker requires one of the ministers at least to be at the despatch box, so that’s my responsibility.”
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