THE First Minister's spokesman has slammed Boris Johnson for comments he made about Nicola Sturgeon's attendance at next year's COP26 summit in Glasgow.
Speaking at a Tory conference drinks reception, the Prime Minister said the Union flag should take centre stage at the 2020 event, but Sturgeon should not be "anywhere near" it.
Some 30,000 delegates, including world leaders, are expected to attent the event, making it the largest international summit to be held in the UK.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson: I want Union flags, not Sturgeon, at summit
The Sun reported that the PM told Tories: "I’ll tell you what we’ll do. We make sure - with every policy we pursue, with every investment we make in Scotland, then we put a Union flag on it.
“For instance, the COP26 climate change summit that’s going to be held ... the leaders of the entire world will come to Glasgow.
"I guess I don’t mind seeing a Saltire or two on that summit, but I want to see a union flag - I don’t want to see Nicola Sturgeon anywhere near it, because the Scottish Nationalist Party didn’t secure that summit in Glasgow, it was the United Kingdom Government.”
But the FM's spokesman hit back at the comments.
He said: "Boris Johnson certainly sounded like he was enjoying himself at the Tory drinks reception.
"But out in the real world people will be deeply embarrassed to hear their Prime Minister acting so childishly.
"It is right that the COP26 conference should come to Scotland given our leadership in climate action.
"We were one of the first countries in the world to acknowledge the global climate emergency and the Scottish Government has introduced the toughest targets in the UK to ensure our action matches the scale of our climate ambitions."
READ MORE: Scottish Conservatives to back No-Deal in Brexit U-turn
He continued: "When it comes to issues of common concern such as climate change, the SNP Government are proud to play our part and work in partnership with other governments - something that Boris Johnson seems completely incapable of doing."
Yesterday's drinks reception followed a speech from the Scottish Tory interim leader Jackson Carlaw in which he U-turned on his party's No-Deal Brexit position.
Despite previously opposing a No Deal under former leader Ruth Davidson, Carlaw said his party would now back leaving without a deal to the "more damaging" idea of more Brexit delays.
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