Boris Johnson to make Scotland 'first official visit as prime minister'

Boris Johnson could make Scotland the destination of his first official visit once he becomes prime minister next week, it has been reported.

Boris Johnson could visit Scotland days after he becomes prime minister

The former foreign secretary is widely expected to be unveiled as the new leader of the Conservative party on Tuesday morning. Aides close to Mr Johnson said he then plans to head north of the Border "in the early days of his Premiership, the Daily Mail said.

He will follow in the footsteps of Theresa May who made a point of meeting with Nicola Sturgeon at Bute House in Edinburgh shortly after she became prime minister in 2016.

But Mr Johnson is unlikely to pose for pictures with the SNP leader at the front of the grand Georgian building in Edinburgh as he believes this would make him look liken a "visiting foreign dignitary".

The team behind the Tory MP's leadership campaign are instead hoping he could attend a hastily arranged meeting, such as a Joint Ministerial Committee, which involves members of both the Scottish and UK Governments.

The promise came at a “positive” meeting between the frontrunner for the Tory leadership and almost all the party’s Scottish MPs, which one senior source described as a “pledge of loyalty”.