A Tory MP who claimed teachers and nurses were having a drink in the staff room after their shift during the lockdown has been set straight by union leaders.

Michael Fabricant Conservative MP for Lichfield, attempted to excuse Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak being fined for breaching lockdown at parties in Downing Street by saying others were having a drink after work too.

He claimed in a TV interview: “Many teachers and nurses who after a very, very long shift would tend to go back to the staff room and have a quiet drink”.

He said on BBC news this week: “I know nurses who were and I don’t think they were doing anything wrong.

“They worked really hard on a long shift and would go back to the staff room and have a drink.”

Fabricant was trying to normalise the PRime Minister and Chancellor's action for which tehy were fined by claiming they were doing what others were doing.

Unions representing teachers and nurses, however have said he is completely wrong and have told him so.

Scotland’s biggest teaching union, the EIS, said: “Teachers and school staff do not drink alcohol in their places of work, as this would be wholly inappropriate.

“Most haven’t been in the same room as their colleagues throughout the pandemic, because they were following the rules set out by government.”

One Glasgow teacher on twitter said Fabricant was insulting and out of touch, stating: “We weren’t even allowed to eat our lunch in the staff room because of understandable Covid restrictions, so this is just absurd and insulting.

“I think immediate hauling before the General Teaching Council Scotland and dismissal for that - which I think any employer would expect as a standard frankly.

“MPs (and to a lesser extent MSPs) exist in another world where drinking on the job is seen as anywhere near acceptable.”

Pat Cullen, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, has written to the MP to complain about his remarks.

She outlined to him what nurses were doing to protect themselves, patients and family during the hight of the pandemic, around the time when Boris Johnson, Carrie Johnson and Rishi Sunak were among those found to be at lockdown parties in Downing Street and fined by the Metropolitan Police.

She said: “We remain at the forefront of pandemic response. Despite political narrative, as health and care professionals we know the Covid-19 context is nowhere near over. While you position yourself with some authority as to the behaviour and actions of nurses during the pandemic I’d like to inform you of the following facts.

“Throughout the pandemic- and certainly still now- most days nurses and nursing support workers when finishing a number of unpaid hours well past shift end, will go home, clean their uniform, shower and collapse into bed.

“Throughout the early pandemic this was often alone, for the protection of others.

“At the end of one of the many hours, days and years we have worked, since recognition of the pandemic, I can assure you none of us have sight to hang out and “ have a quiet one in the staff room.

“There isn’t a site that would allow alcohol on the premises for any professional to consume during working hours.”