Boris Johnson has snubbed an invitation from Nicola Sturgeon to meet in Edinburgh during his two-day visit to Scotland this week.
Scotland’s first minister and SNP leader had invited Mr Johnson to meet at her official residence Bute House to discuss the ongoing recovery from the Covid crisis.
However, the prime minister has rejected the chance to meet in a reply letter to Ms Sturgeon – telling her he wanted to focus on wider discussions with devolved leaders at a later date.
Ms Sturgeon responded to the letter by saying she did not “feel snubbed” – but claimed most people would find it “a bit odd” that the prime minister passed up the chance to meet during his trip.
“I think people will just find that strange, and it’s for Boris Johnson to explain why,” the first minister told broadcasters, adding that she had been “ready” to welcome him at Bute House.
“This would be the first opportunity, given Covid, for us to sit down, appropriately socially distanced, and have a face-to-face chat. I think it would have been a good opportunity. So, you know, missed opportunity – but that’s on him.”
Saying he was “keen” to meet soon, Mr Johnson said in his letter that it had been agreed at a previous meeting between them to set up a “structured forum for ongoing engagement” between the four nations of the UK.
The prime minister wrote: “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.”
Ms Sturgeon acknowledged in her own letter that she and Mr Johnson “differ politically” – but stressed the Scottish and UK governments must “work together” wherever possible.
The prime minister is expected to begin his two-day visit to Scotland on Wednesday – his first visit north of the border since January.
Mr Johnson is believed to have dropped his plan to head to Scotland during the recent Holyrood election campaign, amid fears it could damage the Scottish Conservative Party’s fortunes.
“The prime minister will be up here regularly – as will other members of his cabinet,” said Scottish Conservative Party leader Douglas Ross.
Asked by Times Radio about surveys showing Mr Johnson’s unpopularity in Scotland, Mr Ross said: “The prime minister is aware of that polling. Every politician has support in some areas and not in others.”
The prime minister made a point of highlighting the success of the UK’s vaccine roll-out in his reply letter to Ms Sturgeon – and said he hoped to work with the Scottish government on a booster jab programme.
“I know that you have been meeting regularly with the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, but I look forward to meeting with you soon and working together in the interests of people in all parts of our country.”
It comes after Ms Sturgeon confirmed most of Scotland’s remaining coronavirus restrictions are to be scrapped from Monday – which she hailed as “perhaps the most significant date so far” in the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Scottish government has called for more clarity on UK ministers’ plans to renegotiate the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Scotland’s external affairs secretary Angus Robertson – due to meet with Brexit minister Lord Frost on Wednesday – said tensions between the UK government and the EU were of “great concern”.
Ahead of the meeting, Mr Robertson said: “The entire issue could worsen the already damaging trade impact on Scotland of the UK government’s hard Brexit, and have wider ramifications for EU-UK relations, including further eroding trust.”
