THE First Minister was told she "simply wasn't bright enough to understand how good [Theresa May's Brexit] deal was" in a meeting with the Prime Minister, MPs have heard.
Scotland's Constitutional Relations Secretary Michael Russell told Westminster's Scottish Affairs Committee the incident happened the last time he and Nicola Sturgeon met May.
READ MORE: Brexit Vote Live: MPs to vote on Theresa May's deal
Russell said: "When I met the Prime Minister with the First Minister to discuss what we thought we might be discussing, and indeed this was what was being said publicly, we would discuss compromise positions.
"What we actually heard was an explanation of why we simply weren't bright enough to understand how good her deal was. Obviously she wasn't either because her deal changed."
He added: "I must be honest about this, the Prime Minister is not a person who seems willing to listen to what the devolved administrations want to say, still less to compromise as a result of that."
He was giving evidence to the committee in its inquiry into intergovernmental relations between Westminster and Scotland.
He said relations were "poor", having been worsened by Brexit, and added that the joint ministerial committee system had "failed", particularly in its supposed oversight role on the Brexit process.
"Last night, there was of course a briefing for Arlene Forster – there was no briefing for Nicola Sturgeon," he said, referencing last-minute adjustments to the Brexit deal.
Russell also questioned the relevance of the position of Scottish Secretary, saying he does not "see what the purpose is".
“I mean, in terms of the day-to-day functioning of the Government, I don’t think that the role has any function at all," he added.
He said the Scotland Office is "not relevant to what we're doing and is an appendage from a past settlement that is no longer necessary".
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel