Boris Johnson has moved to try to repair his strained relationship with Douglas Ross by praising the “great deal” he said had been achieved by the Scottish Conservative leader.
The prime minister used an interview with us to pay tribute to the “efforts” of the Moray MP, who recently called for Mr Johnson to resign over the “partygate” scandal.
He said: “There is overwhelmingly more that unites us than separates us.”
Mr Johnson suggested the record of Mr Ross compared favourably to former leader Ruth Davidson, highlighting a rise in Tory votes at last year’s election.
He was visiting Babcock’s manufacturing yard at Rosyth as he kicked off a “levelling up” tour of the UK.
It was the first time he has travelled north of the border since Mr Ross called on the prime minister to stand down.
The trip was made just days after police contacted him over allegations he flouted his own lockdown rules by attending gatherings in Downing Street.
The cross-border rift in the Conservative Party later deepened after Jacob Rees-Mogg responded to the call by Mr Ross by branding the Scottish Tory leader a “lightweight”.
However, Mr Johnson appeared keen to try to build bridges with Mr Ross, despite the pair not being expected to meet during the prime minister’s trip north.
The prime minister said: “I think that Douglas has achieved a great deal as leader of the Scottish Conservatives, and really I would pay tribute to his efforts.
“He secured, I think, more votes than the previous Scottish leader back in May, as far as I can remember.
‘Stopped the SNP’
“He stopped the SNP from getting an absolute majority, and every day he is out there campaigning for the Union, campaigning for a vision of our country that he and I totally share.
“There is overwhelmingly more that unites us than separates us.”
Mr Johnson has been invited to attend the Scottish Tory conference in Aberdeen, which will be held on March 18 and 19.
He toured the Rosyth yard on the day it was confirmed a deal has been reached between the Scottish and UK governments to pave the way for two “green freeports” in Scotland, with the Fife site expected to be a front-runner.
The prime minister witnessed the latest work on the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate programme at the yard.
“These Type 31s are fantastic machines. They are an amazing demonstration of Scottish shipbuilding prowess,” he told us.
“They are attracting a lot of interest around the world, and they offer the prospect of real export markets for this country.
“People think we are just selling armaments and munitions… actually these are vessels that will help keep the peace, will stop people trafficking, will tackle piracy, and will be of massive importance to building a better world.”