Callum Kerr

Six months of a political stalemate comes to its natural conclusion today as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon meets with British Prime Minister Theresa May. Their first encounter since March, the two have plenty to ramble over- with brexit negotiations, a snap election and a scattering of sexual harassment cases all at the fore.

SNP councillor for Prestwick Ian Cochrane and Conservative MSP for Ayr John Scott spoke exclusively to UWS Newsroom on what the parties hope to get out of todays meeting. Cochrane said: “I imagine the conversation will centre around the budget and brexit.

“Sturgeon will use the opportunity to protect the devolution of powers put at risk by the process of brexit.

“It will also be a chance to sway the Conservatives away from their discredited agenda to a plan of growth and prosperity”.

Similarly, John Scott felt the meeting would include “a full exchange of views along with an on going discussion focusing on brexit- as well as some of the recent sexual harassment cases which have surfaced in parliament”.

Tension between the two leaders has bread profusely in their avoidance, with Sturgeon describing their prior conversations with “very frustrating” and “impossible to get any human connection”. Sturgeon continued to illustrate the nature of previous visits with: “This is a woman who sits in meetings when it’s just the two of you and reads from a script”.

Despite this, Cochrane feels any angst that might be underlying wont affect the purpose of their meeting: “They are both professionals and inter-personal relationships will be set aside in order to concentrate on the task at hand”.

John Scott also portrayed this opinion, saying; “Both leaders are professionals. They will have their own feelings and emotions but I fully expect them to tackle this in a business-like manor.

Cochrane finishes with illustrating that he hopes to get clarity from the PM, whose proposals in the past to the SNP have been a “slap in the face of the country”.

The opinions of the local people of Ayrshire also agree on what we can get from todays meeting.

A long overdue conversation between the First Minister and Prime Minister has been on the cards for months now, and hopefully both parties biting the bullet today will give the nation some clarity on political direction.