NICOLA Sturgeon has called for relations between London and Edinburgh to be “reset” and urged Boris Johnson and his colleagues to end the “squabbling” that has marred the start of preparations for the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

The First Minister made her plea at a conference in London organised by the Green Alliance think-tank at which she stressed how all political leaders had a “duty” to make the environmental summit in November a great success.

Pledging “absolutely and unequivocally” to work closely and constructively with the UK Government and other partners in preparing for COP26, Ms Sturgeon insisted it was “vital that COP is a success…because that's certainly in Scotland's interest but it's in the interest of the UK as a whole and most importantly in the interest of the planet".

Last week, the Prime Minister’s launch of COP26 was overshadowed by a direct attack on his handling of climate change by Claire Perry O’Neill, whom he sacked as COP26 President just days earlier.

She claimed Mr Johnson did “not get” climate change, lacked leadership and ambition on the issue and was engaged in “playground politics” in a “complete stand-off” with the Scottish Government.

Indeed, Ms O’Neill made clear how he had “heartily and saltily rebutted” her suggestion of giving Ms Sturgeon a COP26 role.

Claims that Mr Johnson responded to her suggestion by saying "over my f****** dead body," adding: “I’m not being driven out of Scotland by that bloody wee Jimmy Krankie woman,” were forcefully denied by No 10.

When asked if she had been offended by the slur, the FM insisted it was not a question of being offended but told the conference to applause: “For goodness sake guys, we're here talking about the future of the planet.”

But, later addressing the point, she said: “If Boris Johnson wants to make personal insults against me I'm a big enough girl to make personal insults against him back.

“But on this issue I don't want to be doing it. There are plenty of issues Boris Johnson and I can have squabbles about, this really, really should not be one of them,” Ms Sturgeon declared.

She expressed concern at Ms O’Neill’s sacking but hoped her worries would be laid to rest when Mr Johnson appointed a new COP26 President in his Government reshuffle on Thursday.

“I have no interest in being critical in the UK Government's handling of this; I desperately want COP to be a success and I feel a responsibility for helping to make it a success,” explained the FM.

She pointed out how she felt a “sense of shared responsibility” over COP26, not just on the logistical side but by using Scotland’s “global leadership” on tackling climate change to help deliver the summit as a political success. “So I make that offer as a genuine one.”

Ms Sturgeon referred to the “ridiculous” row with the UK Government over the site of the Scottish Government’s COP pavilion at the Glasgow Science Centre, which the host now wants as part of the COP26 site.

“We shouldn't be talking about these issues,” she declared, adding: “I am absolutely, not just willing but really keen, if there is a sense of squabbles or not working constructively, let’s reset that and just move forward in the right spirit. That is what I want to do and I hope the UK Government meet that with the same spirit.”

Earlier, Michael Gove, who opened the summit with a speech, insisted the two governments got on “very well,” noting: “I always enjoy working with the Scottish Government. Their ministers are a great team on this issue.”

In his address, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said that Britain had a “moral responsibility” to lead the world on tackling climate change.

He explained as the leader of the Industrial Revolution, which powered the change in the climate, the UK now had a “responsibility to lead a green industrial revolution as well to show we acknowledge our responsibility, our debt to the planet and our debt to other people".

In her speech, Ms Sturgeon also spoke of a “moral imperative” in tackling climate change. She stressed there were opportunities in leading the way in a green revolution but also risks.

She stressed how the decarbonisation of Britain should not emulate the deindustrialisation of the 1980s but had to be “just and fair”.

“We must do everything we can to ensure the transition…is handled very differently and do everything possible to ensure communities and individuals are not left behind.”