May says Union next PM’s ‘priority’, makes no mention of devolution review

Outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May will call on the next prime minister to “make the Union their priority”, in a speech in Scotland today.

However, in an extract of her speech released ahead of the event, May has not mentioned any plans to review devolution, as was widely reported yesterday.

“I am confident that whoever succeeds me in 10 Downing Street will make the Union their priority,” May will say this afternoon.

“He will be building on work done over the last three years, during which time strengthening the Union has become an explicit priority of government.”

She will say the job of prime minister “brings with it privileges and responsibilities which you only really feel once the black door closes behind you”.

“One of the first and greatest is the duty you owe to strengthen the Union. To govern on behalf of the whole United Kingdom. To respect the identities of every citizen of the UK – English and Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish.

“And to ensure that we can go on facing the future together, overcoming obstacles together, and achieving more together than we ever could apart – a Union of nations and people.”

Yesterday The Scotsman reported May would announce a review into how the UK Government interacts with devolution, with the Union under increasing strain from the UK’s EU departure.

Scotland Office minister Lord Ian Duncan then spoke to BBC’s Good Morning Scotland yesterday morning about the plans.

“What we're doing right now is examining how devolution works here,” Duncan said.

"Time and time again I've listened to the first minister saying that the UK Government isn't working for Scotland. The UK Government is working for Scotland and it wants to make sure that it is working as best as it can, hence this review – a simple straightforward way of making sure devolution is working as best as it can be."

May faced backlash from the SNP over her alleged plans to announce a review of devolution, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon labelling it as “a desperate act”.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford asked May about the devolution review during Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, to which she replied: “first of all, there is no review into devolution.”

It will be May's final visit to Scotland as PM, before Conservative party members vote to elect either Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt as leader.