Secret dinner between Sunak and the Scottish First Minister

Posted On: January 13, 2023

british Prime Minister, Sunak Receiptand Chief Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, held a secret dinner yesterday in the Highlands. Neither from his office spoke about it, but the quote came to light via the BBC.

Although the two met each other last November Anglo-Irish Council in Blackpool, the dinner was their first official meeting, thus proving that relations between Scotland’s nationalist government and the central executive, while far from perfect, had become less strained since Sunak moved to Downing Street in October after a successful run. Liz Truss.

The new “Tory” leader has always stated his intention to want to “restore” the usually contentious relationship between London and Edinburgh. Various topics were discussed at the dinner, according to the media, incl National Public Health System (NHS) crisis and economic recession.

Last night, a joint announcement was expected the creation of two green free ports in Scotland. Cromarty and Forth are the favorites to place this facility where tax incentives will be used in an effort to encourage investment and economic growth in the two regions.

In any case, it’s impossible to avoid the elephant in the room: the challenge of Scottish separatists with the promise of a new referendum. Last November, the Supreme Court proved a strong fallback to the nationalist plan, given that The Edinburgh Home Rule Parliament does not have the power to call a new referendum independence without the consent of the central executive. But Sturgeon didn’t give up and appointed the next general scheduled for 2024 as a “de facto” referendum, a strategy which, however, did not convince part of the ranks of the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP), which in March they will convene a conference to make ‘ new roadmap.

Sunak reiterated that the historic 2014 consultation – which was agreed with London – was unique in a generation. In any case, according to analysts, the overnight appointment with Sturgeon was a smart move, as it would be more complicated this way for the nationalist leader to say that the central government did not even sit down to discuss the matter.

However, there are other controversial issues that Executives could face in the short term. Scotland last year became the first country in the UK to approve a self-identification system people who want to change their legal gender.

The new rules lower the age to 16 and remove the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria. But the central government is concerned about the impact of the new law across the UK and is considering blocking it, using section 35 of the Scottish Act, which would prevent the new law from taking effect. Intervention deadline is the middle of next week.