BORIS Johnson last night challenged Nicola Sturgeon to choose between people’s livelihoods and her dreams of an independent Scotland.
The PM urged her to join a national effort to turbocharge the recovery from the ravages of pandemic.
He invited the SNP leader to a summit to discuss the shared rebuilding blitz moments after her return as First Minister.
In a letter to Ms Sturgeon, he asked her to seize the offer to continue the pandemic success of “Team UK in action”.
The PM wrote: “We will all have our own perspectives and ideas — and we will not always agree — but I am confident that by learning from each other we will be able to build back better, in the interests of the people we serve.”
But he made clear it would mean working together in the “months and years” ahead to overcome their “shared challenges”.
‘TIED DOWN’
An insider said it presents Ms Sturgeon with “a carefully laid trap”.
They added: “If Nicola takes up this offer, she will be tied down to working on a UK-wide recovery programme for the next few years.
“If she says no, she’ll be turning down a huge opportunity to rebuild Scotland after the pandemic and will be personally responsible for any decline in living standards in the future.”
The Scottish National Party yesterday secured a historic fourth term in power but failed to secure an overall majority in the Holyrood Parliament.