STEWART PATERSON

Political Correspondent

THE Theresa May roadshow rolled into Scotland and just as quickly rolled back out again.

She flew in, fresh from a press conference in London on national security after the latest terror attack, to the Scottish capital and boarded the battle bus.

In a removal company warehouse on the edge of Edinburgh the party faithful gathered, with the waiting Scottish media.

We needn’t have bothered.

While other party leaders were meeting voters and engaging with the public, Ms May’s visit was as closed as you could manage. And managed it was.

We are ushered under the roller shutter into a dark unit with wooden storage crates stacked all around.

Then the big blue “strong and stable” battle bus, the one that used to be the “take back control” “£350m a week for the NHS” Brexit fib bus, blocks out the light.

“Now remember to cheer” said one party aide, to the willing band of placard holders who gave up an afternoon to provide the TV cameras with a crowd.

Out steps The Prime Minister with Scottish leader Ruth Davidson out leading the way with a beaming ear to ear smile bounding on to the little makeshift stage.

She delivers a short speech to warm up the crowd, praising the UK party leader and telling Nicola Sturgeon to “stick her referendum”, always a crowd pleaser.

Then it is the main event. The Prime Minister gives us the SNP and Labour are in cahoots line.

She said: “The reality is if we lose just six seats, the government loses its majority and that will mean Jeremy Corbyn in Number ten and Nicola Sturgeon pulling the strings from Bute House.”

“Boo” went the compliant crowd.

Jeremy Corbyn she said “would negotiate on a second referendum which he said ‘is absolutely fine by me’. I think he’s going to find out there’s a different view from the Scottish people.”

Oh how they roared right on cue at that one.

It is a reworking of David Cameron’s 2015 line of Ed Miliband dancing to Alex Salmond’s tune, it’s an old favourite and the crowd like it.

She finished with the campaign message “give me a mandate” to US campaign style whoops and hollers.

A few minutes for questions from the media, met with quick evasive answers usually involving blaming either someone called Corbyn or Sturgeon and then she is gone.

In total the whole ‘event’ lasted around fifteen minutes.

The Prime Minister’s justification for refusing head to head debates with Corbyn and other party leaders was she preferred to be out around the country meeting the people.

In Edinburgh today not a voter was met and not a baby was kissed.

You could almost think she was avoiding them.