British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is seeking to counter Nicola Sturgeon's push for independence during a visit to Scotland, where he will highlight the benefits of remaining in the UK.
On Thursday evening, the Prime Minister will meet the Scottish First Minister behind closed doors before the pair jointly announce millions in UK government funding on Friday.
The money will “create thousands of high-skilled green jobs, drive growth, potentially bring in billions of private sector investment and provide opportunities for people across Scotland”, Downing Street said.
In their informal face-to-face talks, Mr Sunak and Ms Sturgeon are expected to discuss the “shared challenges that people in Scotland and across the rest of the UK face” and co-operation between both governments, according to No 10.
The UK government’s relationship with Ms Sturgeon’s administration in Scotland has been strained not only by the independence issue but also the potential for Westminster to block Holyrood’s gender recognition laws.
MSPs last month passed the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, approving charges which will allow trans people to obtain a gender recognition certificate without the need for a medical diagnosis.
Scotland joins the space race — in pictures
Downing Street said no decision has yet been made on whether to invoke Section 35 of the Scotland Act, which would block royal assent.
The move is still being looked at before a deadline next week, said the Prime Minister’s official spokesman, who added: “There is a process to consider it and then he will be given advice to make a decision, that’s still taking place.”
During his two-day visit, Mr Sunak is also set to meet search and rescue workers and a community group.
Rishi Sunak through the years — in pictures
It will be his first trip to Scotland as Prime Minister, although he has held talks with Ms Sturgeon before and the pair met at the British-Irish Council Summit in Blackpool in November.
At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said he wants to work with the Scottish government on the issue of the North Sea oil and gas industry.
But he claimed Ms Sturgeon’s government does not “want to support the Scottish energy industry and the 200,000 jobs that it produces”.
He was responding to SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, who said Scotland’s membership in the UK union “simply doesn’t add up”.
“I’m keen to work with the Scottish government to support the North Sea because it’s something that we’re all very proud of in the UK,” said Mr Sunak.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the new freeports will be at Cromarty Firth, near Inverness, and on the Firth of Forth, near Edinburgh.
The green freeports are aimed at boosting investment and growth through the use of tax incentives.
