The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Johnson hits out at ‘Nicola’s army’ in Fife manifesto speech.
Prime minister vows completion of the cities and regions deal by next year
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in Courier Country yesterday where he unveiled the Scottish Conservatives’ manifesto at a hotel in North Queensferry.
Mr Johnson was introduced by interim Scottish leader Jackson Carlaw, who said the Tories will oppose a second referendum on independence “for a generation”.
Mr Carlaw said he would judge the prime minister by his time in office than on comments “made while he was a journalist”, when questioned about remarks made towards Muslim women by Mr Johnson.
He added “Nicola’s nationalist army” had fulminated over issues about flags on strawberries and weather maps on the BBC, causing “divisiveness”.
The manifesto has promised £3.3 billion in Barnett consequentials should they return a majority government.
The party has promised to continue the roll-out of Universal Credit and a re-shaping of constituency boundaries.
The Tories have promised to scrap the “tampon tax” and said they will order a review into a “pension loophole” which sees women missing out on pension benefits.
During the launch, Mr Johnson promised the Scottish “spaceport” would be opened in 10 years, “sector deals” for the oil and gas industry and the completion of the long-awaited cities and regions deals by next year.
He claimed Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland would join the Euro during her Andrew Neil interview to the audience. Ms Sturgeon did not.
On the prospect of a second referendum on Scottish independence, Mr Johnson said Jeremy Corbyn was not “tough enough” to say no to Nicola Sturgeon and claimed Scotland was a “super-green supercar blocked in traffic” due to the uncertainty brought about by “constitutional grievances”.
Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Boris Johnson lied his way through the referendum campaign. He has lied to former bosses, wives and girlfriends. He has lied to the Queen and now he is lying to the country when he says there is such a thing as a good Brexit deal. Even his own brother doesn’t think he’s fit to be prime minister.”