Why Boris Johnson’s devolution comments matter
In 2014, the Scots did indeed have a referendum on whether to stay or leave the UK. So while the result was close, Scotland voted to remain part of the United Kingdom by 55% to 45% and that seemed to be the end of the matter.
However, when Britain voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum, it did so against the expressed will of Scotland.
As during the EU Referendum, Scots voted to remain in the EU by 62% to 38%. So despite the fact that the UK as a whole voted to leave, the verdict of the Scottish people was more adamant in favour of remaining in the EU than it was in remaining part of the UK less than two years earlier.
Since then, the SNP have renewed their campaign for a second independence referendum which has been bolstered by winning majorities of Scottish MPs in both 2017 and 2019.
While holding control in the Scottish Parliament, it is expected that the SNP will increase their majority and a third election win would be another strong signal for independence.
In recent polls, a majority of Scots continue to favour independence amid the perception that Nicola Sturgeon is managing the pandemic much better than Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Westminster.
So in that context, the Prime Minister’s comments that ‘devolution is a disaster’ and that it was ‘Tony Blair’s greatest mistake’ were poorly-timed to say the least.
From Downing Street, the PM answered questions about this matter to both the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and the SNP’s Ian Blackford.
Looking a dishevelled figure, the PM looked like he knows his comments were an error as he tried to sing the praises of the union.
By contrast, the SNP know this is a gift as Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross has tried to distance himself from the PM’s comments, knowing that nearly all Scots proudly support the benefits of devolution North of the border.
But the damage has already been done and unless the SNP make a similar slip-up, they will have one hell of a mandate after next year’s Holyrood elections.
