Nicola Sturgeon has urged the Prime Minister to meet her to discuss the country’s recovery from coronavirus.

The Scottish First Minister has invited Boris Johnson to meet with her at her official residence, Bute House in Edinburgh.

She said that as the Prime Minister was due to be in Scotland this week, it would be “their first opportunity to meet in person for a while”.

And while she acknowledged she and Mr Johnson “differ politically”, she stressed the Scottish and UK governments must “work together where we can”.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Ms Sturgeon said that his trip north “might offer us an opportunity to meet in person in Edinburgh for a discussion on the current Covid situation and our respective plans for recovery”.

She said these talks would focus “obviously on the areas where it is important that our governments work together”.

The First Minister told Mr Johnson: “I would be happy to welcome you to Bute House and hereby extend an invitation.”

Ms Sturgeon’s Scottish Government has taken a different approach to that adopted by the UK Government in England with respect to how coronavirus has been handled.

While all restrictions have been lifted in England, the Scottish First Minister is still to confirm if this can happen north of the border from August 9 – with a statement to be made on Tuesday on this.

She has also warned people in Scotland that the use of face coverings in places such as shops and public transport will most likely remain in place for some time.