Boris Johnson: I’m working very hard with Scottish Tories on levelling up

The Prime Minister was visiting Scotland but was not scheduled to meet Scottish Tory leader, Douglas Ross, who has called for him to step down.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson insists he is ‘working very hard with colleagues in Scotland’ (Daniel Leal/PA)

Boris Johnson has insisted he is “working very hard” with Tory colleagues north of the border – despite the leader of the Scottish Conservatives calling for him to quit.

Douglas Ross has told the Prime Minister that Downing Street lockdown parties mean his position is no longer tenable – with Scottish Tory MSPs publicly backing Mr Ross’s stance.

Mr Johnson, who visited Scotland on Monday, had no meeting scheduled with Mr Ross.

Instead, he said he was “working very hard with my colleagues in Scotland on our joint agenda of uniting and levelling up and delivering for the people of the whole UK”.

The Prime Minister visited Rosyth as a deal was announced between the Scottish and UK Governments which will lead to the creation of two “green freeports” north of the border.

Freeports, which are special economic zones offering tax breaks and lower tariffs for businesses, are being promoted by the UK Government as part of its “levelling up” agenda.

And Mr Johnson said: “I think we’re very proud collectively of what the UK Government has done at all levels to get us through Covid very effectively, so that we now have the fastest growing economy in the G7 last year and this year.

“Plus, we’re working together on great projects, which we’re able to do now such as the the freeports and such as investment in Rosyth.

I hope this is his farewell tour, he is a man who is deeply unpopular up here

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford

Mr Johnson insisted he was not allowed to reveal the location of the two freeports, but said they could “genuinely drive huge numbers of jobs”.

However, SNP Westminster leader, Ian Blackford said the Prime Minister was “deeply unpopular” with Scots, insisting his visit should be part of a “farewell tour”.

Mr Blackford told Sky News: “This is Prime Minister who is not going to meet his own Scottish Conservative leader, even the Scottish Conservatives want Boris Johnson to go.

“I hope this is his farewell tour, he is a man who is deeply unpopular up here.

“More than 75% of Scots think he should resign and I think people right up and down these islands recognise that this is a Prime Minister who no longer has moral authority.”

While there is speculation that Chancellor Rishi Sunak could be a potential successor to the Prime Minister, Mr Blackford argued it was more important for Scots to be given a choice on independence.

He insisted: “It’s not a choice about Boris Johnson or Rishi Sunak or anybody else, it’s about the choice of the people of Scotland to choose their own future.”

But Scotland Office minister, Iain Stewart, argued by promoting freeports Mr Johnson was “getting on with the job”.

Mr Stewart, the MP for Milton Keyes South, told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “I think what the Prime Minister is doing is showing we are getting on with the job, we are setting out a comprehensive and bold vision of what we want the UK and Scottish economy to be.

“We’re investing massively, whether it’s in freeports, whether it’s in the levelling up agenda.”

Pressed on why no meeting has been scheduled with Mr Ross, Mr Stewart defended the Prime Minister, saying the two leaders are regularly in contact”.

The minister added: “When I go up and visit around Scotland, sometimes I meet with my MSP colleagues, sometimes I don’t.”