Vaccine passports are “over the top” and the Scottish Government is introducing extreme Covid measures “for the sake of it”.
That’s the damning verdict this week from Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell.
The former Scottish Secretary also had a dig at the SNP over pushing for another independence referendum – while communities across the UK are still trying to rebuild in the aftermath of Covid.
He said: “I find that absolutely ludicrous.”
While vaccine passports for nightclubs and football matches were ruled out by Westminster, the Scottish Government introduced them six weeks ago.
This means Scots have to prove via an app that they have been double vaccinated before they can attend football matches or go clubbing.
The app launch was a disaster, with many people unable to access their records, and resulted in football clubs such as Aberdeen announcing they would not be checking fans’ vaccination status.
Mr Mundell insisted that the vaccine passport app is “not a proportionate measure in the circumstances”.
He said: “I think that’s over the top. A lot has happened in Scotland I have not agreed with.
“I didn’t see the rationale for doing this for what is essentially outdoor activity.
“Because there was such an administrative mess at the time of the introduction of it that then led to a lack of clarity.”
Meanwhile, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon recently renewed her intentions to press on with a second independence referendum in 2023 – despite the Westminster Government ruling out powers to hold a legal vote.
Mr Mundell said: “It is just plain wrong to be considering an independence referendum at this time, particularly when we still have Covid to deal with.
“We’re going to have to build back up, reinforce the NHS, there are so many things that will need to be done in the aftermath of the pandemic.
“Having an Independence Referendum isn’t one of them.
“It’s a divisive event which we don’t need at a time when we all need to come together, both in terms of getting through the pandemic, but also in terms of rebuilding afterwards.
“We had an independence referendum and people voted decisively to remain in the United Kingdom.”
An SNP spokesperson said: “Boris Johnson’s bid to defy democracy and the cast-iron mandate for an independence referendum delivered by the people in May’s election is utterly unsustainable. Even Theresa May’s ex-chief of staff has admitted the mandate is ‘clear’.
“People in Scotland are sick and tired of out of touch Westminster Tories denying the results of democratic elections here and all that David Mundell is doing is demonstrating that for him and Boris Johnson the votes and views of people in Scotland don’t matter, which will only further increase support for independence.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Covid-19 certification is a proportionate way of encouraging people to get vaccinated, and also of helping large events and night-time hospitality to keep operating during what will potentially be a very difficult winter.
“We know from expert public health analysis that we must do all we can to stem the rise in cases and reduce the pressure on the NHS.
“Vaccine certificates have a role to play as part of a wider package of measures. They add a further layer of protection in certain higher risk settings.
“This is a very limited scheme and we hope this will allow businesses to remain open and prevent any further restrictions as we head into autumn and winter.”
