Sturgeon meets with Michelle O’Neill of Sinn Fein, who is pushing for the UK to be split up

Nicola Sturgeon warned questions about the future of the UK are not ‘going away’ today as she met Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill in Edinburgh.

The SNP leader and Ms O’Neill – whose party emerged victorious in recent elections – held talks on ‘shared areas of interest’ as they both mull how to break up the UK.

The encounter will cause concern for Boris Johnson, as he now faces separatists in charge of the largest parties in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Scottish Tories said the Ms Sturgeon choosing to entertain Sinn Fein showed she would ‘work with anyone so long as they support the break-up of the UK’.

After the discussions at her Bute House residence, Ms Sturgeon – who wants to hold another independence referendum next year – said that the fates of Scotland and Northern Ireland were not necessarily linked.

But she insisted the Brexit process had ‘brought to the fore some very fundamental questions’ over the system of governance.

‘Scotland, and indeed Northern Ireland – we both voted against Brexit but we are both now dealing with the very negative consequences of Brexit,’ Ms Sturgeon said.

‘That really brings to the fore that that system of government that’s been at play in the UK for some time now is not serving all of our interests.

‘You hear these questions in Scotland, you hear them in Northern Ireland. Increasingly, you’re hearing these questions being asked in Wales, as well.

‘I don’t think these questions are going to go away.’

Ms O’Neill – whose party has been calling for a referendum on unifying the island of Ireland within five years – said: ‘The historic bonds between Scotland and the island of Ireland go back centuries. We enjoy a long & enduring affinity as neighbours and friends.

‘Moving forward we will strengthen the bonds that tie us.’