BORIS Johnson’s trip to Scotland has been branded a “farewell tour” as police “close in” on his pandemic rule-breaking.
The Prime Minister is visiting on Monday to promote his government’s “levelling up agenda” but is expected to spend his time “hiding from the Scottish people”.
Ian Blackford, the SNP’s Westminster leader, said Johnson was a “walking advert for Scottish independence” and called on the Prime Minister to use his trip “to apologise and hand in his resignation”.
He said: “Every time the Prime Minister visits Scotland, support for independence shoots through the roof as people are reminded of the litany of scandals and damaging decisions imposed on Scotland by this disastrous Tory government.”
READ MORE: Douglas Ross in a ‘humiliating climbdown’ over call for Boris Johnson to resign
The call comes just days after Johnson was handed a legally binding questionnaire by police investigating lockdown breaches at Downing Street.
Blackford said the Met was “closing in” on the Prime Minister – after an official civil service investigation found “serious failure” within Johnson’s circle to meet the “high standards” expected during Covid lockdowns.
The UK is in a state of “constant chaos” on Johnson’s watch, Blackford warned, adding: “Westminster is engulfed in sleaze, corruption and criminality, the Tory cost of living crisis is spiralling out of control, and his reckless hard Brexit has inflicted billions of pounds of damage to Scotland’s economy.”
It comes as polls show the overwhelming majority of people in Scotland think Johnson should resign – including Tory voters.
A poll by Panelbase found more than three quarters of Scots think he should resign while just 15% think he should stay.
Blackford added: “It’s no wonder Mr Johnson is spending his flying visit hiding from the Scottish people, when the overwhelming majority want him to resign, including his own Scottish Tory branch office.
READ MORE: Ex-Labour MSP hopeful says party's indyref2 stance is 'haemorrhaging' support
“His days are numbered, if he won’t quit Tory MPs must show him the door.”
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has called on the Prime Minister to quit and was branded a “lightweight” by then Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg.
We revealed on Sunday how the Tories had invited Johnson to speak at their Scottish conference in March in a “humiliating climbdown” for Ross.
SNP MP Pete Wishart said: “Such an embarrassing U-turn leaves Mr Ross with egg all over his face – and will do little to counter claims by senior Tories that he is a ‘lightweight’ whose authority is crumbling.
“It simply isn’t credible for the Scottish Tories to demand Boris Johnson’s resignation one week, then invite him to give a keynote speech the next.”
It is thought Johnson may address the Aberdeen conference virtually.
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