THE two-party mould was broken by the SNP and the usual pattern at Westminster was the see-saw share of power between the two so-called “main” parties.
Their aims and policies were supported across and within the divide and rolled cosily along undisturbed and unperturbed.
That has all changed. The duopoly have lost their dominance in Scotland and are starting to fracture north of the Tweed. Brexit, No-Deal Brexit and devolution have reoriented their now confused raison d’etre.
The Tories are increasingly an English “nationalistic” party with jingoistic overlay. The branch in Scotland fronted by Ruth Davidson has been truly “Union-Jacked”, its leader humiliated and sidelined, not quite purged yet, and its MPs from Scotland and its MSPs at Holyrood are in existential slide.
Labour are fundamentally confused as to where they stand on most issues and their grip on the Union is sliding. If the Johnson Tories can savage their “allies” in Scotland, how much more will they be brutal to the rest of us?
The crunch will come sooner or later. The groundswell for indyref2 has been visible now since Scots voted to remain in the EU, even the Unionists voted to remain along with the SNP and that swing was confirmed in the latest poll on the issue.
The added turbo boost for indyref2 has ironically been propelled by Boris Johnson and his savaging of his internal party north of the Tweed. The vitriol now being flung at Ruth Davidson, once hailed and venerated as its saviour, from within her party north and south, is unprecedented.
READ MORE: Davidson is now the least popular Tory in a frontline position
Even The Times has a front page splash announcing her fall from grace.
With 63% of Tory members willing to give up the Union for a No-Deal Brexit, the gulf is highlighted. The Union only brings in a few MPs for the Union north of the Tweed.
The largest group, the SNP, are a threat to the Tory majority at Westminster. Cut out all Scots and the whole dynamic changes for the Tories in England. No need to go cap-in-hand to the DUP who demand payment in return.
The indyref2 groundswell, where we now know that increasing numbers of Labour voters in Scotland are pro-indy, will ultimately force the other Unionist parties – primarily the LibDems – to face up to the dilemma that No-Deal Brexit and Brexit itself places them in.
Do they, in the end, support the vote of Scots to remain in the EU in the event of Brexit, which means independence, or do they put the Union first and commit to a Tory hegemony in the UK, the Union which will have mired us in a chaos out of the EU?
Labour north of the Tweed has most to gain in an independent Scotland. It has sunk so below the radar that independence would aid it to recapture its former Scottish roots. The LibDems have supped with Cameron’s Tories, their present leader still extols the “achievements” when she was a minister in Cameron’s Cabinet, so one cannot be certain, but perhaps their voters and ordinary members will come to their senses and shift alignment.
READ MORE: LibDem double standards yet again
The Unionist dilemma north of the Tweed for the non-Tories is how far do they tolerate and will they tolerate the diktats from Westminster even with a devolved Scotland, now that the Tories are “Union-Jacking” everything, will take back powers from Holyrood and even barge in and legislate from Westminster in devolved areas such as education.
Can you imagine trust schools in Scotland being wrenched out of local control, for example, and handed over to big business for profit? There is a feeling that the Labour and LibDem pro-devolution stance in the past was there to halt the rise of the SNP, but that has not happened.
So are they going to put the Union before the country and Holyrood?
That is the serious issue they are going to have to face. A Union which puts the macro power in a party like the Tories which Scots did not vote for, and which was and is anti-devolutionist, is not a “precious” Union.
The inner turmoil and tensions in the Unionist parties are inexorably forcing a rethink and realignment as October 31 and a No-Deal Brexit or even Brexit loom up fast.
John Edgar
Kilmaurs
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here