Jenny Gilruth and Ian Murray lock horns on Question Time (Image: BBCQT)
An SNP minister was told she “should be ashamed” of her party’s drug deaths record during a hot-tempered row on .
The Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray was contributing to the panel’s discussion about the rate of drug-related deaths in Scotland – the highest in Europe – when he was interrupted by the Jenny Gilruth.
The MSP asked Mr Murray “how does austerity help that?”, as he was dissecting the myriad social issues prevalent in Scotland.
Taken aback at the snipe from the politician – whose party has presided over a worsening drugs crisis under its administration – Mr Murray shot back: “We’ve been in power for 89 days, you’ve been in power for 17 years and these figures are a disgrace.”
Three times he repeated: “You should be ashamed of them.”
Scotland has the worst drug death rate in Europe (Image: Getty)
Earlier, Mr Murray himself was left lost for words after he was quizzed over a football match he was taken to by Salmon Scotland only a few weeks ago.
The MP for Edinburgh South went to the Liverpool v Bournemouth game at Anfield on September 21, the day before the start of Labour Party conference.
Host Fiona Bruce asked him: “A couple of weekends ago you accepted hospitality to go and see Liverpool v Bournemouth, paid for by Salmon Scotland. Do you think you should be handing the money back for those tickets?”
Ian Murray at Labour Party conference (Image: Getty)
Mr Murray came back: “It’s what I said before we go to a lot of events under a judgment call to engage.”
“But why do you need to go to a football match to engage with Salmon Scotland. I mean, couldn’t you just have a meeting?”, the veteran presenter asked.
Mr Murray replied: “Well you engage in a lot of different ways. It was in Liverpool because party conference was there, so we were all in Liverpool.”
Ms Bruce sharply pointed out: “But Salmon Scotland is based in Edinburgh and you’re an MP in that area.”