Nicola Sturgeon has said the backbench rebellion by Tory MPs was “dangerous” as it could undermine Boris Johnson’s ability to make tough decisions on the pandemic.
The First Minister questioned whether Mr Johnson had the authority from his own party to pass measures to tackle coronavirus.
On Tuesday, nearly 100 Conservative MPs voted against the UK Government’s introduction of vaccine passports for nightclubs and large events in England.
The measure was able to pass through the House of Commons with the support of the Labour Party.
Ms Sturgeon appeared on Lorraine Kelly’s ITV programme on Wednesday morning.
The First Minister said she had a “big worry” about the events in the House of Commons the previous night.
Setting out what her fear was, she said: “The Prime Minister – at a time when all leaders need to be prepared to take the toughest of decisions if necessary – he appears not to have the authority to do that within his own party.
“And that’s dangerous because this is an emergency we’re in right now.
“It’s a crisis, it’s not normal politics and we need to make sure people are rising to the occasion.”
She said cases of the Omicron variant were doubling every two or three days, a faster rate than at the start of the pandemic.
Ms Sturgeon said: “We’ve got to act and we’ve got to do what we think is right.
“I hope Boris Johnson, whatever political travails he’s suffering right now, has the courage of his convictions and the ability to do what is necessary.”
She added: “Health and lives are on the line right now, we can’t afford to have this kind of political chaos.”
