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Johnson will head north of the border to commemorate the first anniversary of taking office as prime minister
The response to the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the “great power” of the UK union, Boris Johnson said ahead of Thursday’s visit to Scotland.
The trip, a year after he became prime minister, will see Johnson reunite with members of the military and their families.
He said the troops had done “vital work” to support the NHS during the pandemic and praised the Treasury’s job retention schemes.
But the SNP said the visit showed Johnson was “in a panic” over growing support for Scottish independence.
Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she had no plans to meet Johnson, but that she would continue to work with her government on the “immediate priority” of addressing the coronavirus.
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Johnson said he “promised to be prime minister in all corners of the UK,” adding that the response to the pandemic had demonstrated his government’s commitment to the entire UK.
The UK government has coordinated much of the UK economic response to the virus, including the coronavirus job retention license scheme.
But delegated governments have had control over most public health measures and have been able to establish country-specific messages and schedules.
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Nicola Sturgeon said “I was always happy to meet the Prime Minister”
Although the entire UK went into lockdown in the same week, each constituent party has eased the restrictions in a different way and at a different rate.
Phase 3 of Scotland’s “road map” outside the closure began last week, as pubs, restaurants, barber shops and barbers were allowed to reopen.
They were allowed to reopen in England a little earlier on July 4, along with holiday accommodation, including hotels, B & Bs, cottages, camping sites and caravan parks.
‘Sincere link’
Johnson said before his visit: “The past six months have shown exactly why the sincere and historic bond that unites the four nations of our country is so important and has once again demonstrated the sheer power of our union.
“In Scotland, the magnificent UK armed forces have been on the ground doing vital work to support the NHS, from establishing and managing mobile testing sites to transferring critically ill patients to hospitals in some of Scotland’s most remote communities.
“And the UK Treasury stepped in to save the jobs of a third of Scotland’s entire workforce and kept wolves at bay for tens of thousands of Scottish companies.”
“More than ever, this shows what we can achieve when we are together, as one United Kingdom.”
The UK government said the leave and self-employment plans had supported 900,000 jobs in Scotland.
The Prime Minister will also present details of a £ 50 million financing package for Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, the latest in a series of “city and region agreements” in which the Scottish and UK governments promise cash in various areas on new infrastructure and local development schemes.
The Scottish government is also committing £ 50 million for the “Islands Growth Agreement”, which will focus on sectors such as tourism, energy and skills.
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Ian Blackford said conservatives were “in a panic” about growing support for independence
The timing of Johnson’s visit comes amid a “perfect storm” over Scottish independence, according to Sir Tom Devine, professor emeritus of Scottish history at the University of Edinburgh.
Sir Tom told BBC Two Newsnight that the union is in its most fragile condition since 1745, and that opinion polls suggesting greater support for independence in Scotland have been consistent for some time.
In questions from the prime minister on Wednesday, Westminster SNP leader Ian Blackford said Johnson was visiting due to recent polls suggesting support for independence is on the rise.
He said: “Yesterday, the Tory party held a political cabinet with the prime minister panicking over the majority in increasing support for Scottish independence. Apparently, his grand strategy amounts to the arrival of more UK cabinet ministers to Scotland.
“I can tell the prime minister: the more Scotland sees this UK government, the more convinced it will be of the need for Scottish independence.”
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At her coronavirus briefing on Wednesday, Ms. Sturgeon said she “had no plans” to meet Johnson on this trip, but that she “is always happy to meet with the prime minister if he wants to.”
He added: “We are all very focused on the immediate priority of continuing to suppress Covid and I look forward to working with the UK government on that basis.”
“We have our political disagreements and disagreements over aspects of Scotland and the future of the United Kingdom, and I am sure we will continue to discuss them constructively as well.”
Sturgeon previously suggested that his government’s response to the pandemic was to help convince the Scots of the merits of independence.
In an interview with Scotland on Sunday when she turned 50, she said, “How have we stopped yelling about independence and yelling at ourselves about how we got independence, and we focused on [dealing with the crisis].
“It has allowed people to step back and say ‘well, that’s really the benefit of autonomous decision-making’ and also ‘maybe things would be better if we had a little more autonomous decision-making,’ and reach your own conclusions. “
