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

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.

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”.

The SNP’s deputy Westminster leader, Kirsten Oswald, said “it might be Valentine’s Day but there is no love lost between Scotland and Boris Johnson”.

“It speaks volumes that this lame-duck Prime Minister spent most of his flying visit running scared of the people of Scotland – including his own Tory party colleagues, who are still calling for his resignation,” she added.

“People in Scotland are looking on in horror at the state of this arrogant, dishonest, out-of-touch Tory Government but we need more than just a change of Prime Minister.

“The only way to keep Scotland safe is to become an independent country, and escape the damage of Westminster control for good.”

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.”