Downing Street is seeking to sideline Nicola Sturgeon to stop her turning the Cop26 climate summit into “an advert for an independence campaign”, according to leaked messages.
Advisers at No 10 and the Cabinet Office laid out the strategy to "neutralise" the First Minister in meeting notes and WhatsApp messages, The Independent reported.
Responding to the reports, Sturgeon said anyone who allows politics to get in the way of tackling climate change would be abdicating responsibility.
She wrote on Twitter: “All that matters is that Cop26 delivers an outcome to meet the Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.
“We must work together and maximise contributions towards that. Anyone – me or PM – who allowed politics to get in way would be abdicating that responsibility.”
The conference, attended by leaders from across the world, is due to take place in Glasgow for two weeks from October 31.
But the leaked messages suggest advisers are planning to keep Boris Johnson from sharing a platform with Sturgeon in the run-up to and during the event.
The Prime Minister should minimise her role by including other devolved leaders where possible, they said.
One adviser’s message referring to Sturgeon read: “This can be labelled as a role for her [as one of the UK’s leaders] but avoids her taking centre stage.”
Another said: “We can’t let this be used as an advert for an independence campaign.”
The notes also document efforts to ensure that the Union flag is displayed as much as possible at the summit.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
