Cabinet meeting concentrated on trying to ‘preserve the union’

Theresa May dedicated almost all of her Cabinet meeting to trying to preserve the Union, it has emerged.

Senior UK Government ministers were reminded they must continue to engage with the devolved administrations to “nurture” the UK as speculation intensifies around a second independence referendum.

A Downing Street spokesman said there was no discussion of the Scottish Government’s Brexit paper and the threat of another poll was only “touched on”.

He added: “The Prime Minister said the government recognised how much we all value the union, how it had been an incredibly successful partnership – we must continue to point that out.

“She added that everyone around the table wants the union to work and stay together.”

Ben Gummer, minister for the Cabinet Office, said ministers and their departments should “continue to listen to and engage with the devolved administrations”.

The Courier revealed last week that the Prime Minister has been planning for Nicola Sturgeon to demand Scotland returns to the polls in August 2018.

The First Minister, who has told her civil servants to ready themselves for the legalities of a second plebiscite, said last year that another referendum was “highly likely” after a majority of Scots voted to stay in the European Union.

Earlier this month, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, above, insisted the SNP “forget” any plans.

A spokeswoman for the SNP said: “This shows the Tories are clearly rattled at how their actions are being seen by people across Scotland – and they have good reason to be.”