RISHI Sunak has insisted Scotland is not a “lost cause” for the Conservatives despite recent dire polling figures.
The Prime Minister said he was “passionately committed” to delivering for everyone in Scotland, and intended to show that his government was working for them.
A YouGov poll in October found just 12 per cent of Scottish voters would vote for the Tories if there was a general election tomorrow, compared to 29% at the 2019 election.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has also seen his personal approval ratings slump since he repeatedly flip-flopped over whether Boris Johnson should be PM last year.
Read More: Rishi Sunak: Young people in Highlands ‘pumped up’ about freeports
Speaking to the media on his first official visit to Scotland since entering Number 10 in October, Mr Sunak was asked if Scotland was a lost cause for the Tories.
He said: “I'm really keen as Prime Minister for the United Kingdom to make sure that everyone in Scotland realises that I'm passionately committed to delivering for them.
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“That’s part of my job that I take really seriously.
“That means having a constructive working relationship with the Scottish Government because I think people in Scotland want to see that.
Fantastic to welcome @RishiSunak to the Highlands this morning for his first visit to Scotland as PM. pic.twitter.com/ZlVsScTQSO
— Donald Cameron MSP (@DAJCameron) January 13, 2023
“And that's what I've delivered since I've been Prime Minister.
“I spoke to the First Minister, I think on the first day I was in office.
“I saw her very quickly thereafter by being the first prime minister to attend a conference that's held between all the different parts of the UK.
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“That's what I want to keep doing more of. I want to keep demonstrating tangibly and visibly to people in Scotland that the UK Government is here trying to make a big difference to their lives, and I think there's lots more we can do.”
He said yesterday’s announcement on Scotland’s first two green freeports on the Firth of Forth and Cromarty Firth were examples of that joint working.
A recent £20m Treasury-funded investment in Aberdeen city centre was another.
“These are all examples of where we can demonstrate the benefit and the value of the UK Government to people in Scotland. Do it constructively in partnership with the Scottish Government. And that's what I'm going to keep doing as prime minister.”
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