A TORY MSP has claimed that the Delta variant seeding into Scotland’s largest city was “unavoidable” as he jumped to Boris Johnson’s defence despite delays in restricting overseas travel.

The Prime Minister was criticised for waiting weeks to put India on the red list for travel after the Delta variant emerged in the country.

Opponents claimed the delay was in order to foster a trade deal between the UK and India, but Mr Johnson was eventually forced to cancel a trip to India after the country was finally placed on the red list.

India was added to the red list on April 23, but neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh had been on it since April 9.

The Delta variant is now responsible for the vast majority of new cases being confirmed in Scotland and responsible for the surge in new infections – initially being imported into Glasgow.

Speaking on the Herald’s Brian Taylor Podcast, SNP MP Dave Doogan, pointed the finger at Mr Johnson.

He said: “The level of neglect and ambivalence by the UK Government to properly marshal the UK’s borders, which of course Scotland, while we remain in the UK is subject to, is unforgivable and will not stand scrutiny over time.

“It was all predicated around the UK wanting to curry favour with the Indian Prime Minister and not upset Boris Johnson’s trip to India.

“It’s a scandalous abdication of responsibility on the part of the UK Government.”

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But Conservative MSP, Donald Cameron, who held his party’s health brief until May’s election, insisted that the more transmissible Delta variant could not have been stopped entering Scotland.

He said: “It would simply have been impossible for us to avoid any transmission from Europe – we're a connected, international country.

“When it did spread, as we’ve seen from the Delta variant, it did spread very rapidly.

“I’m afraid to say it was unavoidable, the Delta variant and unfortunately, as we all know, it is very transmissible and highly infectious.”

Mr Cameron added that “there are many factors for its spread in Scotland”, pointing to Euro 2020 events being held in Glasgow, which he said “led to a huge expansion in rates going up”.

Labour MSP Martin Whitfield said it was “overly-simplistic to say that just close the borders and everything would’ve been fine”.

He added: “The reason for the delay had nothing to do with this virus and had everything to do with Boris Johnson’s desire for a trade deal.

“The way that the infection spreads, we’re already hearing it’s all the football’s fault that it’s spread.

"When you look at the data, it clearly appears that the Delta variant is affecting males far more than females, which is unusual because the original Covid was working the other way.”