New British PM to visit Scotland amid disagreement on no-deal Brexit

LONDON -- Britain's new Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make his first official visit to Scotland on Monday amid opposition to his insistence on pulling the country out of the European Union (EU) even without a deal.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said last week that Scotland, which voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum, needed an "alternative option" to Johnson's Brexit strategy, as local media reported.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson also refused to back a no-deal Brexit.

In his first speech as prime minister on July 24, Johnson pledged to bring Britain out of the EU by Oct 31, saying "no ifs, no buts." He warned that there would be a hard Brexit if the EU refused to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement.

Johnson will announce on Monday a 300-million-pound (about $371 million) investment to drive economic growth in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.