Boris Johnson has spoken about the merits of the union while downplaying calls for Scottish independence on a visit to Scotland on Thursday.
After the prime minister implied that Scotland's coronavirus response benefited from being part of the UK, Nicola Sturgeon accused of him politicising the pandemic, adding that leaders should not use the crisis as "some kind of political campaigning tool".
Earlier on Thursday, Ms Sturgeon remained firm on her stance about independence, tweeting that the country's future is currently being "decided by politicians we didn't vote for, taking us down a path we haven't chosen".
PM visits Scotland in 'panic mode' over union
Boris Johnson will plead with Scots to move away from independence during his first visit since the pandemic started, writes Rob Merrick.
Arguing that the UK has shown its “sheer might” during the pandemic, the prime minister will lay out his case for the union.
His comments come after some have accused him of being in “panic mode” about the increased support for Scottish independence.
According to two recent surveys, 54 per cent of respondents want to see Scotland split from the UK.
Sturgeon discusses independence on day of PM visit
Nicola Sturgeon has welcomed Boris Johnson to Scotland on Twitter but has cautioned him that Scotland has the right to decide its own future.
Scotland's first minister stressed that a key argument for independence is Scotland's ability to make its own decision rather than being told what to do by Westminster.
In a follow-up tweet, Ms Sturgeon said she shared the sentiment of a cartoon in The Times in which Mr Johnson is depicted running towards her over a crumbling set of stones that spell out "the union".
Sturgeon shares sentiment of Times cartoon
Scotland's first minister has said she shares the sentiment of a cartoon in The Times which depicts the fragile state of the union, as the prime minister visits Scotland on Thursday.
The image shows Boris Johnson offering to help Nicola Sturgeon while running across a set of crumbling stones in the shape of "the union".
In a reference to Scottish independence, the cartoon shows Ms Sturgeon standing still and replying "you are helping" to the Conservative leader's desperate attempts to come to Scotland's aid.
Ministers accused of avoiding scrutiny over cut to foreign aid budget
The government has been accused of quietly pushing through a £2.9 billion cut to the foreign ahead budget, on the day that MPs left for their summer recess, writes Jon Stone.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab blamed the economic fallout from the pandemic for the decision, which was announced on Wednesday.
However, he stressed that the UK would still meet its commitment to give 0.7 per cent of its gross national income in aid.
Opposition critics have denounced the move as “callous”.
SNP politician says Johnson's message will not convince Scotland
The SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has said that Boris Johnson's message to Scotland on Thursday about the union will not be well-received.
On his visit to Scotland on Thursday, the prime minister is expected to say that the "sheer might" of the UK has been shown in its collective response to the pandemic.
In response, Mr Blackford told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think he's going to find that this message is going to go down particularly badly in Scotland."
"Is he really saying that any other small nation in Europe and any other part of the world doesn't have the capability to deal with the Covid crisis?" he added.
Minister defends donations from people with Russia links
Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis has defended his decision to accept money from donors with links to Russia on the grounds that they are "British citizens".
His comments came a few days after the release of the damning Russia report into risks posed to the UK's national security, which has prompted a closer look at Russian influence in British politics.
The former Tory Party chairman received £25,000 from Lubov Chernukhin, a banker, and £23,000 from Alexander Temerko, a former chief of a Russian arms company.
"Large" sums have also been received by another 13 members of the cabinet.
Mr Lewis told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think we need to be fairly clear about this so we don't get the facts wrong - these are British citizens."
"They are properly declared, we do not accept funds from foreign nationals," he added.
Analysis of Johnson's first year in office
The prime minister's honeymoon period in office "seems well and truly over", writes Ian Jones in an analysis of the Boris Johnson's first year in the job.
After his election success in December, the Tory leader's approval ratings have plummeted during his handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Read more here:
UK at risk of becoming 'cultural wasteland'
Mass theatre closures and redundancies in the arts sector could lead to the UK becoming a "cultural wasteland", MPs have warned.
In a new report, the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee suggests that the government acted too late against the "existential threat" posed to the industry by the pandemic.
Although the Treasury recently gave the hard-hit sector £1.57bn, the committee said the delay in offering to help cultural institutions was "regrettable".
The Independent's Ashley Cowburn has more here:
Leader of Scottish Tories criticises Sturgeon
Jackson Carlaw, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives and MSP for Eastwood, has criticised Scotland's first minister for being "obsessed" about gaining independence.
Mr Carlaw retweeted a message Ms Sturgeon had written on the issue on Thursday, adding the comment "there she blows again".
He went on say that Scotland had chosen its future by voting against independence in its referendum in 2014.
The MSP also claimed that the union strengthened Scotland by protecting jobs there.
UK government claims responsibility for better Covid-19 outcome in Scotland
The government has appeared to claim credit for Scotland's coronavirus response, writes Jon Stone.
Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis said on Thursday that Boris Johnson was ultimately in charge and that devolved governments were "part of the decision we were making".
However, devolved authorities have largely managed their own coronavirus responses since lockdown.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have much lower Covid-19 death rates than England.
Jeremy Corbyn supporters raise more than £22,000 for legal fund
More than £22,000 has been raised by Jeremy Corbyn's supporters to cover his legal costs if libel action is taken against him.
The GoFundMe page was set up on Wednesday evening after it was reported that John Ware, a BBC journalist, was pursuing legal action against Mr Corbyn.
Mr Ware worked on a Panorama programme in 2019 which investigated anti-semitism within the Labour party.
His decision to take legal action came after Mr Corbyn said on Wednesday that it was "disappointing" that Labour had apologised to seven whistleblowers and Mr Ware for comments it had made against them in connection with the programme.
China to block UK's citizenship offer to Hong Kong residents
Beijing has moved to prevent the UK's offer of citizenship to almost three million Hong Kong residents, saying it may not recognise the validity of their passports.
China was responding to the UK government's announcement that it would "warmly welcome" any of the 2.9 million Hong Kongers with British National Overseas (BNO) status.
Home secretary Priti Patel said on Wednesday that the application process would begin in early 2021, and that the residents would have access to the UK job market regardless of their skill level.
Anticipating China's response, Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, said last weekend that "there would be little we could do" if Beijing blocked the move.
PM arrives in Scotland
Boris Johnson arrived in Orkney earlier this morning on his first visit to Scotland since his general election victory in December.
After touching down at Kirkwall Airport, he headed to the first in a series of engagements.
Foreign Office and DfID merger must not lead to reduction in 'expertise', MPs warn
MPs have warned that the merger between the Foreign Office and the Department for International Development (DfID) must not result in a weakening of "expertise".
The Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee said the new department, which will be called the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), "risks weakening the cultures of each department".
In a study responding to the government's announcement of the merger last month, MPs said the decision should not lead to the loss of highly skilled staff who have established the UK's reputation in the aid sector.
MP Tom Tugendhat, the Tory chairman of the committee said: "Co-operation will determine the success of the merger."
"Urgent responses are needed to global challenges from dealing with the departure from the Covid emergency, the need to build new alliances, and the response to climate change, so the new department will have no time to settle in," he added.
Mayor of London says it's 'astonishing' PM hasn't spoken to him in months
Sadiq Khan has claimed that Boris Johnson has not spoken to him in around two and a half months, writes Jon Stone.
The mayor of London said he last spoke to the prime minister at a Cobra meeting in early May, labelling Mr Johnson's silence since then as "astonishing".
Mr Khan told the Press Association news agency: "I find it astonishing the Prime Minister of a country during a pandemic isn't holding Cobra.
"I find it equally astonishing that the Prime Minister isn't engaging with the mayor of the capital city."
Starmer tells Johnson not to 'lecture' Scotland
Keir Starmer has warned the prime minister that he should listen and not lecture Scotland during his visit on Thursday.
"The Prime Minister in Scotland needs to listen not lecture. And so he should listen to the communities in Scotland, not go up there delivering lectures for them," the Labour leader said.
He added that it was important that Scotland and the rest of the UK had worked together on their health and economic responses during the pandemic.
"It's an example of why we shouldn't be pulling apart the United Kingdom," Mr Starmer said.
Senior SNP politician says Scotland has 'many questions' for PM
Ian Blackford, the leader of the SNP in the Commons, has said that Scotland has many questions for Boris Johnson to answer.
His remark came after the prime minister arrived in Orkney on Thursday morning for his first visit to Scotland since last year's general election.
In a tweet, Mr Blackford said he hoped Mr Johnson would be "brave enough" to respond to Scotland's concerns.
He also suggested that the Conservative leader was guilty of "inflicting policies on us which we don't want".
PM says UK should be vigilant against Covid-19 threat in colder months
During his visit to Scotland, Boris Johnson has called on the public to remain alert to the coronavirus threat the UK still faces.
"It is not the end of the story and we've got to be very, very vigilant as we go forward into the colder months," the prime minister said in Orkney.
Johnson downplays calls for Scottish independence
The prime minister has claimed that the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence was "a once-in-a-generation event", while praising the UK's collective response to the pandemic.
Speaking in Orkney on Thursday morning, Boris Johnson said: "We had a referendum in 2014. It was decisive, it was I think by common consent a once-in-a-generation event."
After brushing away calls for independence, he implied that Scotland would be stronger if it remained in the union.
He also mentioned that the NHS in Scotland had been given £250 million in preparation for a possible second wave of coronavirus later this year.
Barnier tells Johnson post-Brexit trade deal 'unlikely'
The EU's chief negotiator has said that a post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and the EU is looking 'unlikely' because of Britain's lack of flexibility.
After finishing a round of negotiations in London, Michel Barnier said on Thursday that "the time for answers is quickly running out".
He added that there would be serious economic repercussions if a deal was not reached by October, stressing that "we should not waste time".
