Get ready, Scotland. You're about to see a whole lot more of Boris Johnson. Supposedly.
The new Prime Minister reportedly plans to visit Scotland on a more frequent basis once Brexit and a Cabinet reshuffle are out the way, according to The Herald.
His goal appears to be bolstering support for the union and to increase the UK Government's role in Scottish affairs.
One senior Government source said: “Once Brexit is done on January 31 the big focus domestically will be on strengthening the Union.
“Scotland is going to see a lot more of Boris and his ministers in 2020.”
Another Tory insider claimed: “Once more people see Boris on the ground, they will warm to him. He has to have longer stays in Scotland, for two or three days, and not just be seen as a visiting Governor General who pops across the border every now and again for a few hours.”
The Dunlop Review on “strengthening the Union” was commissioned by Theresa May in one of her last acts as PM. Downing Street is currently reworking the constitution to, in their words, “makes devolution work better”. This includes a potential plan to move the House of Lords to York.
"Union" is certainly the word on Whitehall's lips, however, with Michael Gove heading up the Union Unit and Johnson delcaring himself the Minister for the Union. One of Johnson's key aims is to instill what he describes as a "Union mindset" across the UK Government.
This means it won't just be Johnson popping up to Scotland every now and then, but senior ministers too.
It also means direct investment from Whitehall in Scotland; a decision that many see as a direct attack on the devolution settlement.
In response to this move, one senior SNP source welcomed the decision, stating that "Johnson is poison in Scotland" and "seeing more of him will only help our cause for independence.”
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