Humza Yousaf brands David Cameron 'petty' over meeting threat

First Minister Humza Yousaf dismissed criticism from the UK government

Humza Yousaf has branded David Cameron "petty" and "misguided" over a threat to withdraw UK support for Scottish ministers during overseas visits.

The first minister responded to claims from the foreign secretary that he breached protocols by meeting Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan without a UK official present.

The SNP leader dismissed the criticism from an "unelected lord".

Lord Cameron has also threatened to close Scottish offices in UK embassies.

The former prime minister, who returned to the cabinet as foreign secretary last month, said in a letter to the Scottish government that ministers had failed to provide "sufficient advance notice" of the meeting with Mr Erdogan at COP28 in the United Arab Emirates.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has accused the Scottish government of five breaches of protocol during the climate summit.

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Mr Yousaf said the meeting had been rearranged at short notice by the Turkish president's team but that he would have "no problem" with a UK government official - including Lord Cameron himself - attending.

He said a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) official "chose not to stay with the Scottish delegation the whole day, and because of that they ended up missing the meeting", which was described as a brief "brush-by".

Mr Yousaf said that a UK representative had been at the "vast majority" of discussions he held during the climate summit.

"Nothing was discussed that hadn't been discussed at other meetings, such as the climate crisis, and in this particular meeting the issue of the Israel-Gaza conflict," the first minister said.

He warned Scotland's economy would be harmed if the FCDO withdrew support for the Scottish government overseas.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron threatened to close Scottish offices in UK embassies

"For Lord Cameron to say he's basically going to stop Scotland's international engagement because of one meeting, where one FCDO official wasn't able to attend - because, of course, at events like COP, diaries can change quite last minute - is really petty, really misguided," Mr Yousaf told reporters.

"I suggest to Lord Cameron that next time, if he has an issue like that, he should just pick up the phone, I'm sure it can be resolved."

In his letter, the foreign secretary warned there would be no further FCDO "facilitation of meetings or logistical support" for the Scottish government if there were any "further breaches" of protocol, adding he would also "consider the presence of Scottish government offices in UK government posts".

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack told MPs on the Scottish Affairs Committee that the Erdogan meeting had not been the first minister's only "offence" during COP28.

'Wholly unacceptable'

He said Mr Yousaf also met four other foreign ministers - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Pakistan Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar - without FCDO officials present.

"Foreign affairs is reserved under the Scotland Act and it's important for the UK to speak on the world stage with one consistent voice," Mr Jack told MPs.

"It is wholly unacceptable for the Scottish government to promote foreign policies which are at odds with those of the United Kingdom government. It risks causing confusion and it damages the UK's standing in the world."

The Conservative minister said FCDO officials had only been given "very last minute" notice that the Erdogan meeting had been rescheduled, and claimed Scottish officials had more advanced warning of the change.

Humza Yousaf met the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan at COP28

Former foreign secretary James Cleverly made a similar threat to cut diplomatic support to the Scottish government after Mr Yousaf met the Icelandic prime minister in August without UK diplomats present.

However a UK government source said this latest intervention represented and "escalation" over the issue and the foreign secretary wished to take a "harder line" approach than Mr Cleverly.

Mr Yousaf posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he had discussed the climate crisis and the Israel-Gaza conflict with Mr Erdogan and the Lebanese prime minister during their meeting on 1 December.

He said he had called for an immediate ceasefire in the region. BBC Scotland News understands this contradiction of the UK government position has caused particular concern in the foreign office.

A Scottish government source said Lord Cameron's letter was a "gross overreaction", adding: "You can hardly say to a president, 'Can you wait a second while we find our chaperone?'"

They said that the FCDO representative was "very late" for a couple of meetings at the summit, but that was "the nature of fast moving things like COP".