Sturgeon: ‘Dangerous’ PM doesn’t want deal

THE Prime Minister endured a bruising encounter with Nicola Sturgeon yesterday as he urged her to work with him on planning for a No Deal Brexit.

On his first visit north of the border since becoming Prime Minister, Mr Johnson was booed as he arrived at Bute House, the official residence of the Scottish first minister.

He told Miss Sturgeon: ‘The UK will be leaving the EU on October 31 come what may.’ He also said there was ‘no reason’ for a second referendum on Scottish independence and that the vote in 2014 had been a ‘once-in-a-generation’ event.

Mr Johnson’s comments came after the first minister warned his ‘hard-line’ government was driving the country towards ‘disshe aster’ by pushing for a No Deal Brexit. After the meeting, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘Behind all of the bluff and bluster, this is a government that is dangerous.

‘I think if he were in this room right now, he would deny this vehemently, but I think he wants a No Deal Brexit.’

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has also made it plain she will not support the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Despite that, Mr Johnson promised he would be ‘doing everything’ to help her to become Scotland’s next first minister in the 2021 Holyrood election.

He said: ‘I am lost in admiration at what has achieved. I am a massive fan of the way she has taken the argument to those who would destroy our union.’

After her meeting with the Prime Minister at Holyrood, Miss Davidson said: ‘We had an incredibly constructive meeting.

‘We covered a number of areas, talking about Brexit, the need to make sure we can get a deal across the line.

‘We talked about how we can continue to take on Nicola Sturgeon and oppose her obsession with another independence referendum.’

Earlier, Mr Johnson hit out at the SNP’s ‘campaign to destroy the union’ as he visited the Faslane naval base on the Clyde.

Asked if he was ruling out a second referendum during his premiership, Mr Johnson said: ‘It was a once-in-a-generation consultation of the people, we did it in 2014 and the people were assured then that it was a once-in-a-generation consultation.

‘I see no reason now for the politicians to go back on that promise.’

Mr Johnson urged Miss Sturgeon to work with him on No Deal planning so the whole country can ‘enjoy a bright future outside of the EU’.

The Conservatives yesterday topped a poll in Wales, where Mr Johnson will go today. The YouGov poll for ITV put the Tories on 24 per cent, while Labour suffered its lowest rating ever at 22 per cent.

The Brexit Party stood at 18 per cent, the Liberal Democrats at 16 per cent and Plaid Cymru at 15 per cent.