Boris Johnson’s relationship with Scotland is “working well” despite the near collapse of the Prime Minister’s Union Unit, Downing Street has insisted.
The Prime Minister’s Press Secretary has played down the departure of the head of the Downing Street Union directorate just a fortnight after former Scottish MP Luke Graham was sacked from the post.
In startling comments Allegra Stratton, the PM’s press spokeswoman, said: “The relationship between the Westminster government in Scotland and the Scottish people is working very well at the moment.”
The Union unit was created with the aim of countering rising support for independence but has become a casualty of Downing Street infighting amongst Johnson’s advisers.
Oliver Lewis, an ally of former Government adviser Dominic Cummings, resigned amid tensions within Downing Street just weeks after taking up the role following the departure of former Scottish Tory MP Luke Graham.
Answering questions from reporters on the chaos surrounding the Union unit, Stratton said: “What matters is what felt on the ground by the Scottish people and Scottish people would say that they’ve seen support for their businesses, they’ve seen support whether they’re in self- employment or not and they’ve also, most brilliantly, seen the vaccine rolled out around Scotland.”
She added that the lifting of lockdown restrictions due to be announced by Johnson on Monday would go "hand in hand" with Nicola Strugeon's planned announcement on the next steps to be outlined on Tuesday.
Stratton said the PM was committed to “levelling up” across all four countries of the UK and that the Union directorate "will continue to support the PM in his capacity as the minister for the Union”.
