THE First Minister will meet with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in-person for the first time on Monday evening.
This will be Humza Yousaf’s first visit to London since taking office at the end of March.
The two leaders previously spoke over the phone on the day Yousaf was selected by MSPs to become First Minister.
Yousaf said he had "made clear that I expect the democratic wishes of Scotland's people and Parliament to be respected".
However, reports say Sunak also made "clear" that he thinks the focus should be on issues such as the NHS and not an independence referendum.
Sunak said after the call that he was "looking forward to working with [Yousaf] to deliver on the priorities that matter most to people across Scotland – from cutting NHS waiting lists to growing our economy".
Yousaf has also said he will ask for a Section 30 order just hours after he took over as SNP leader, although no formal request has been recorded.
Such powers could be granted under Section 30 of the Scotland Act, allowing the Scottish Parliament to legislate for a referendum on independence – widely seen by Yousaf’s wing of the party as the “gold standard” for achieving separation.
READ MORE: Rishi Sunak reportedly planning for General Election in autumn 2024
But shortly after his comment, the UK Government moved to quash it.
“I think you know our well-established position,” the Prime Minister’s spokesman told reporters at the time.
“Reducing inflation, dealing with the cost of living, tackling backlogs, those are the issues the public care about. That’s what the Government will be focused on."
Whilst in the capital, the First Minister will also hold meetings with key Ambassadors to the UK including from Germany and Ukraine, and with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
For security reasons, the First Minister’s full travel arrangements are not made public in advance. Costs, travel arrangements and a full list of engagements will be published proactively in line with normal practice.
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