Theresa May's relationship with Nicola Sturgeon hits ‘ROCK BOTTOM after Brexit power grab'

Iain Macwhirter, a Scottish political commentator, claimed that the two leaders should try and form a “constructive relationship”.

He said: “When they first met after the 2017 General Election Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon got on quite well on a personal level.

“They both had the same kind of experience and they are both women who have risen to the top in male-dominated professions.

“I think they actually had quite a lot in common and quite a lot to talk about.

“But that relationship has certainly deteriorated over the subsequent years and is now at rock bottom, mainly because of this controversy over the so-called power grab which is the powers that are repatriated from Brussels going directly to Westminster and not going to Scotland in devolved areas.

“They have got to try and form some kind of constructive relationship, they have to get the ministerial meetings going again between Scotland and the UK government to try and solve this power grab issue which is now before the UK Supreme Court.

“It will be deciding on the legality of the Scottish parliament’s position just before Christmas, so they do have to try and open up channels.”

Mrs May is visiting Edinburgh as the capital’s annual festival season gets underway, with Edinburgh International Festival director Fergus Linehan reportedly preparing for the impact a “catastrophic” Brexit could have on events.

May hailed the £1.2 billion city deal for Scotland’s capital as an “exciting step towards a brighter future” for Edinburgh and the south east of Scotland.

Both the UK and Scottish governments are committing £300 million for the deal, with local authorities, universities and businesses also involved.

Speaking at the signing ceremony at Edinburgh University, Mrs May said: “I believe we can achieve far more together than we ever could apart.”

The Prime Minister was joined at the signing ceremony by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon – with the two leaders having earlier had talks.

Investment from the Scottish Government will contribute towards 41,000 new homes, 21,000 jobs and improve the skills of an estimated 14,700 people.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Edinburgh and the south-east of Scotland is an area of huge importance to the Scottish economy.

“The region contains over a quarter of Scotland’s population and contributes £33 billion to the Scottish and UK economies.

“The Scottish Government’s £300million investment in the City Region Deal will contribute towards 41,000 new homes, 21,000 jobs and improve the skills of an estimated 14,700 people across the region.

“Our investments will ensure businesses and communities from across the region benefit from the opportunities created by this the city region deal.

“Taken together, these projects will help the region continue to thrive and grow, fulfilling our ambitions for the region to be one of the fairest and most inclusive areas in the country.”