TORY MPs have been told to attack Labour over the Union, according to secret leaked documents.

A briefing by the Conservative Research Department sent out to the party’s parliamentarians claims Labour has “given up on being in power in Holyrood or returning any Scottish MPs”.

It goes on: “They have said that they are perfectly fine to do a deal with the SNP to get into government, which would include allowing another independence referendum.”

The document, leaked to Buzzfeed, claims the Tories will always strive to “strengthen and protect” the Union.

“One of Boris Johnson’s first acts as Prime Minister has been to visit Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, create a minister for the Union, a Union Unit within Downing Street, and announce £300 million to expand Growth Deals across the devolved nations”.

Elsewhere the briefing urges Tories to describe the Irish backstop as “anti-democratic” and to talk up Boris Johnson’s new policies on policing, health and schools.

The note says the “real threat” to the integrity of the UK is Jeremy Corbyn as he will “prioritise his socialist ideals over the Union and is ‘absolutely fine’ with another Scottish independence referendum.”

The Tories say Johnson will help keep the UK together by becoming “Minister for the Union” in addition to his role as Prime Minister.

“This Cabinet Office role will ensure that policy decisions strengthen the Union and consider ways to improve the governance of the Union,” the briefing says.

Under the heading “key political points”, the Tories claim Corbyn and John McDonnell wouldn’t stand in the way of an independence referendum.

Reports earlier this week suggested several senior aides with close ties to the Scotland Office and the Scottish Tories have been approached to join No 10’s Union unit.

However, Theresa May’s special adviser for Scotland, Ross Reid, declined because of disagreements over Brexit.

There has been some scepticism among Scottish Tories that Johnson “gets” the Union.

In one of his first interviews after being sacked, David Mundell said Johnson needed to understand that “Scotland is a distinctive political environment”.

He added: “The newspaper environment, the political environment, the political priorities, they’re completely different.”

An SNP spokesman said there was “little wonder that support for independence is rising, with polls showing a majority want a fresh independence referendum”.

He said: “Beyond the meaningless rhetoric and briefing papers, the irony is that no one has done more harm to the union than the Conservative and Unionist Party itself.”

A Scottish Labour spokesman said the Prime Minister “used to put his nonsense on the side of a bus, now he puts it in his briefing papers”.

He added: “Boris Johnson has repeatedly shown ignorance towards Scotland, and is determined to force through a No-Deal Brexit. His insulting views on women, Muslims, working class communities and people from the LGBT community make him the real threat to Scotland’s place in the UK.”

During the Tory leadership campaign, a Panelbase poll found support for independence would jump to 53% if Johnson became Prime Minister.