UK PM favorite Truss sparks ire with dig at Scottish leader

Scottish National Party lawmakers have described as "unacceptable" and "obnoxious" British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss's assertion that she would ignore Scotland's leader if elected as the United Kingdom's next prime minister.

Members of the pro-independence party say that the comment shows a lack of respect for Scotland and its elected leader ahead of a prospective vote on Scottish independence.

What did Truss say?

Truss, the UK's top diplomat, was responding to a question about strengthening the union between England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

"I think the best thing to do with Nicola Sturgeon is ignore her," Truss said late Monday at a party event in southwest England, garnering applause and cheers from members.

When pressed that Sturgeon and her party have a democratic mandate to govern in Scotland, Truss dismissed the first minister as "an attention seeker."

What was the response in Scotland?

John Swinney, who is Sturgeon's deputy as first minister of Scotland, said Truss's remarks were "completely and utterly unacceptable."

"People in Scotland, whatever their politics, will be absolutely horrified by the obnoxious remarks that Liz Truss has made," he told BBC television.

"I think Liz Truss has, with one, silly, intemperate intervention, fundamentally undermined the argument she tries to put forward: That Scotland, somehow, can be fairly and well-treated at the heart of the United Kingdom."

SNP lawmaker Keith Brown said the comment betrayed a lack of respect for Scotland, which voted to remain part of the UK by 55% to 45% in a 2014 referendum.

"From 'don't leave, lead' and a 'respect agenda' in 2014, to 'just ignore' Scotland in 2022, we can see behind the curtain of contempt for Scotland's place in the UK," Brown tweeted.

Scotland's health minister Humza Yousaf highlighted that Truss had also appeared to suggest she did not believe in devolution, which means Scotland is in charge of its own services such as health ad education.

"Beyond the petty jibes from someone vying to be PM, Truss's all-out-assault on devolution shouldn't be ignored," Yousaf tweeted. Stating that all UK government policy should apply in Scotland... should concern us all."

What's happening with Scottish independence?

In June, Sturgeon announced a new referendum on independence slated for October 19, 2023.

However, outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party, which is in opposition in Scotland, oppose any such vote. They say the question was settled in 2014, when the Scottish electorate voted by 55% to 45% to stay in the UK.

Sturgeon said Brexit meant that the political landscape has changed so significantly that a new vote is needed. Some 62% of Scots were opposed to Britain leaving the EU in the UK's 2016 plebiscite.

The Supreme Court in London plans to hold hearings on October 11-12 this year on whether the referendum will be legal without approval from the UK government.

Both Truss and her rival, former finance minister Rishi Sunak, have ruled out allowing a referendum on Scottish independence.

To win the ultimate prize of being prime minister, the pair must appeal to a Conservative Party membership thought to be overwhelmingly male, older — and living in England.