The Scottish First Minister claims that if the SNP win a majority in the Scottish Parliament that would be a mandate for another independence referendum.
The impact that the new government will have Scotland will only be able to be fully assessed once the public see how Starmer balances his commitments to the UK as a whole with the political and economic realities in Scotland.
Indeed, in some cases it would be a direct vote for independence – although Richard Tice hasn’t bothered to check how many, some of his candidates publicly support breaking up the United Kingdom.
Whatever the specific issues upon which the Bute House Agreement foundered, the two parties are suddenly competing for votes in Holyrood’s regional lists.
Those who claim the Conservatives would benefit from a spell in opposition to ‘rest and detox’ are misguided. My first nine years in Parliament were spent in opposition, and it was a frustrating experience.
Also: Delays in SNP fraud investigation risk impression of cover-up, senior lawyers warn.
The First Minister stands accused of having officials draw up new statistics to “reverse engineer” an excuse for his wildly inaccurate statements about an independent Scotland’s energy potential.
The reason the Nationalists are suffering now is that despite a long run of uncommonly able leadership, and opponents perhaps less willing to defend the existence of their state than in any other country on earth, Scottish independence is just not a good idea.
Outside the European Union we are free to conduct trade policy and set regulation which aligns with our interests, rather than those of the Eurozone core that dominates in Brussels.
In the meantime, the Scottish Conservatives are gearing up to go on the offensive.
The Nationalists’ dominant position in Scottish politics was built on uniting the 2014 Yes vote. Absent progress on separation, it is fracturing.
Sarwar says there will be no referendum on Scotland’s future if Labour wins the general election.
“A Government will want to get its legislative agenda through,” Yousaf adds. “Not be frustrated at every single turn.”
“Because all the reforms you guys passed already have panned out really well over the past 20 years, haven’t they.”
In the face of a tsunami, our politicians are offering a pair of boots and an umbrella. Let the idea that we can win wars fighting yesterday’s battles pass away and allow a great cause new for the Tories in Scotland – cultural restoration with conservative revolution.