Boris Johnson rushes to Scotland TODAY after Sturgeon triggers starting gun on IndyRef2
Douglas Ross: Restrictions will ‘hold Scotland’s recovery back’
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The Prime Minister is thought to be heading north of the border to promote the COP26 UN climate change conference taking place later this year. Glasgow was chosen to be the host city for the major international conference in 2019 in a bid to boost the Union.
Mr Johnson is hoping the two-week summit of world leaders taking place in November will help to promote the United Kingdom and quash pro-independence sentiment.
He also sees COP26 as a chance to showcase Brexit Britain on the world stage, highlighting the UK’s ability to be a world leader outside the EU.
The Prime Minister’s visit has been in the diary for a number of weeks.
However, it comes just 24 hours after the emergence of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s latest push for independence.
A draft agenda for the SNP’s annual national conference, due to take place next month places the drive for a new referendum front and centre.
SNP members will be asked to support motions which include saying breaking up the UK is “essential” to Scotland’s recovery from Covid.
Another motion will call for a new independence vote “at the earliest moment” after the pandemic.
The SNP had committed to not focusing on independence until the end of the health crisis, but with almost all legal coronavirus restrictions being lifted in Scotland from next Monday, attention is beginning to shift.
The Westminster Government is planning multiple visits north of the border by ministers in the coming months to love bomb Scots.
In 2020, successive polls appeared to indicate majority support for quitting the United Kingdom.
One poll suggested as many as 58 percent of Scots would support going it alone.
However, the success of the vaccine rollout began to turn the tide in 2021.
The latest survey of Scots by Panelbase found 48 percent of 1,287 respondents supported leaving the UK.
Ahead of today’s visit, Ms Sturgeon wrote to Boris Johnson asking for a meeting with the Prime Minister at her official Edinburgh residence, Bute House.
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She said that while the two leaders may “differ politically” they must “work together where we can” as she suggested talks on the recovery from the pandemic.
Last night, Mr Johnson turned down the invitation saying he wanted to hold wider discussions at a later point.
In his reply, he said: “As I noted when we last met, I am keen to arrange an in-person meeting with you and the other first ministers and deputy first minister to build on the constructive discussions we had earlier this summer.
“We agreed then that we should establish a structured forum for ongoing engagement between the Government and the devolved administrations to deliver tangible outcomes in the interest of people throughout the UK.
“There is much for us to discuss as all parts of the UK work together on our shared priority of recovering from the pandemic.
“I understand our officials have made good progress on the details of this since we last spoke.”
Promoting the work done during the pandemic by Westminster to help the people of Scotland, he added: “The UK Government has procured millions of vaccines for the entire United Kingdom and we look forward to working with the Scottish Government as we roll out booster jabs in line with JCVI’s advice.
“The UK Government is working closely with the devolved Scottish Government on a variety of different issues.”
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