Thanks to the UK Government, councils across Scotland are due to receive around £155 million as a result of extra council spending in England.

But instead of promising to send the cash on, the SNP advised councils to raid their own savings, despite Audit Scotland repeatedly warning that many local authorities were running on empty.

East Lothian Council is under severe financial pressure after years of SNP cuts. The SNP must ensure that East Lothian Council is given all the money it is due, thought to be close to £3 million, as a of matter of urgency.

Councillor Jane Henderson, the Conservatives’ Group Leader in East Lothian, said: “Councils across the country have been struggling to meet the demands of this virus and will continue to struggle as demand on health and social care services grow and greater supplies of personal protective equipment are required. Telling East Lothian Council to raid already depleted reserves is nothing but a slap in the face when there are millions of pounds on the way from the UK Government.”

Councillor Craig Hoy hit back: “East Lothian Council should not have to go begging to the SNP for funds."

In Parliament yesterday, Kate Forbes referred to the row concerning £155 million in Barnett consequentials as being merely a 'storm in a teacup'.

Councillor Craig Hoy, the Scottish Conservatives’ parliamentary candidate for East Lothian, hit back: “Local authorities across Scotland are spearheading the response to this virus, East Lothian Council should not have to go begging to the SNP for funds. Now the SNP must ensure that communities in East Lothian Council are not left behind.”