RISHI Sunak is set to hold talks with Nicola Sturgeon in his first visit to Scotland as Prime Minister in a bid to push support for the Union.
According to The Telegraph, Sunak will also announce the locations of two new “green” freeports which are understood to be near Inverness and Edinburgh.
The Prime Minister and Sturgeon previously met in Blackpool in early November during the British-Irish Council summit.
Sunak is taking a more proactive approach than his predecessor Liz Truss who did not call Scotland’s First Minister once during her 49 days in office as prime minister.
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Truss said at one hustings during her leadership campaign: “I think the best thing to do with Nicola Sturgeon is ignore her. I’m sorry, she’s an attention-seeker.”
It is understood the meeting - which was instigated by Downing Street - is to take place this evening in the Inverness area and is expected the finish late.
It is anticipated Sturgeon will raise issues such as anti-strike legislation and the cost-of-living crisis as well as pressures on the NHS with the PM.
The National understands she may also speak about the constitution but is not expected to raise the passing of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill which the UK Government has threatened to block or not recognise.
Whitehall insiders have said that talks between Sunak and Sturgeon have been “more constructive” than they ever were with either Truss or Boris Johnson.
It was previously reported that Sunak had adopted a new strategy in a bid to drive up support for the Union and prevent Scottish independence.
At the beginning of the year, a new poll showed that Tory voters were turning against their party with most thinking the Conservatives have failed in managing the NHS and that education reform south of the Border hasn’t worked.
On Wednesday, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn slammed the “utterly perverse” secondary incomes of senior Tory MPs while Sunak tries to deny workers the right to strike for fair pay.
This comes after The National learned that top lawyers have been asked to re-examine whether Scotland has a right to self-determination in an attempt to challenge the Supreme Court’s indyref2 judgement.
Following the ruling, there was a surge in indy support across the country with numerous polls putting Yes in the lead on the question of Scottish independence.
Downing Street was approached for comment.
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