Theresa May to announce devolution review during trip to Scotland

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has criticised reports outgoing prime minister Theresa May will travel to Scotland to announce a devolution review as “a desperate act”.

On Tuesday evening The Scotsman reported May will travel to Scotland on Thursday and announce a review of devolution, that will recommend improvements to inter-governmental relations, with the Union under increasing strain from the UK’s EU departure.

In her final visit to Scotland as prime minister, May will deliver a speech warning Tory leadership candidates Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson of the risk a no-deal Brexit could post to the UK.

Scotland Office minister Ian Duncan told BBC Goodmorning Scotland today: "What we're doing right now is examining how devolution works here."

"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," he said. 

Last night Sturgeon tweeted May’s speech was: “a desperate act by a prime minister who has shown zero respect for the Scottish Parliament during her time in office.”

“It’s for the Scottish people – not a Tory PM – to consider and decide what future we want for our Parliament and country,” she tweeted.

Labour MP for Edinburgh South Ian Murray said May the Tory party "simply can’t be trusted to stand up for the Union".

"Scotland deserves better than a nationalist government in Westminster and a nationalist government in Holyrood, both trying to divide people. It’s time we came together and fought to remain in both the UK and the EU," he said.

May’s speech will be delivered one day before Johnson and Hunt are questioned by Scottish Conservative members at a hustings in Perth on Friday.