First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has extended an invitation to Boris Johnson for talks at Bute House in Edinburgh while he’s visiting Scotland this week.
In a letter sent on Monday, Ms Sturgeon wrote “I understand you will be in Scotland later this week and thought this might offer us an opportunity for us to meet in person in Edinburgh for a discussion on the current Covid situation and our respective plans for recovery.”
The first minister says the talks should focus on “areas where it is important that our governments work together.”
Writing on Twitter, Ms Sturgeon noted that she hadn’t met with Mr Johnson for a while and that although the pair “differ politically” the two governments “must work together” where they can.
I understand the PM will visit Scotland later this week. Since this would be our first opportunity to meet in person for a while, I’ve invited him to Bute House to discuss Covid/recovery. We differ politically, but our governments must work together where we can. pic.twitter.com/Fo4N4nr2oN
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) August 2, 2021
PM heading north on UK government visit
It is understood that Boris Johnson will be coming to Scotland for a two-day visit this week making stops in the Central Belt and north-east where he will meet local businesses.
He is also going to meet Scottish Conservative Party leader Douglas Ross for talks during his trip north of the border.
The last time the PM visited Scotland was in January when he toured Valneva research facilities in Livingston, and met Royal Scots Dragoon Guards setting up a vaccination centre in Castlemilk, Glasgow.
On that January visit Mr Johnson vowed to be a regular visitor to Scotland, especially during the Holyrood election campaign and said “wild horses” wouldn’t keep him away.
He insisted that he would be “campaigning across the whole of the country” but in fact did not come to Scotland at all in the last six months.