‘Not bright enough to understand’
PM insulted Sturgeon, says Russell
NICOLA Sturgeon was told she “wasn’t bright enough” to understand Theresa May’s Brexit deal during a meeting with the Prime Minister, it was claimed yesterday.
Scotland’s Constitutional Relations Secretary Mike Russell told MPs the astonishing insult occurred the last time the Scottish Government ministers met their UK counterparts.
He told Westminster’s Scottish affairs committee: “When I met the Prime Minister with the First Minister to discuss what we thought we might be discussing, and indeed this was what was being said publicly, we would discuss compromise positions.
“What we actually heard was an explanation of why we simply weren’t bright enough to understand how good her deal was. Obviously she wasn’t either because her deal changed.”
He added: “The Prime Minister is not a person who seems willing to listen to what the devolved administrations want to say, still less to compromise as a result of that.”
Russell was giving evidence to an inquiry into intergovernmental relations between Westminster and Scotland.
He described relations as “poor” and confirmed they had been worsened by Brexit. He added the joint ministerial committee system had “failed”, particularly in its supposed oversight role on the Brexit process.
Referring to last-minute adjustments to the Brexit deal, he said: “There was, of course, a briefing for Arlene Foster. There was no briefing for Nicola Sturgeon.”
Russell also questioned the relevance of the position of Scots Secretary, saying he does not “see what the purpose is”.
He added the Scotland Office is “not relevant to what we’re doing and is an appendage from a past settlement that is no longer necessary”.
A UK Government source said: “The Prime Minister has always treated the First Minister with the utmost respect and to suggest otherwise is categorically untrue.”
A UK Government spokesman added: “The Secretary of State for Scotland and his office play a vital role in ensuring Scotland’s voice is heard at the heart of Whitehall.”