The National:

THE prospect of a No-Deal Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic are thought to be the reasons behind a consistent rise in support for independence in polls.

But Unionists have come up with a bizarre theory that Yes supporters' reason for leaving the UK is more about "trashing the British brand".

In an article for The Telegraph, Daniel Hannan argues that "identity almost always trumps economics" when it comes to determining Scotland's future.

He wrote: "Unionists make their case in largely transactional terms, arguing that the UK has an integrated economy, that an independent Scotland would have to establish a new currency, that a smaller country would me much more vulnerable to oil shocks and so on. These arguments may be true, but they don’t determine referendums. In the end, identity almost always trumps economics."

READ MORE: Political science expert says British nationalism is 'behind much of Unionism'

Hannan also argued that Scotland and England have dealt with lockdown similarly, saying: "There is a vague but widespread feeling north of the border that the Scottish authorities handled the epidemic better than their English counterparts – though, in reality, both pursued similar policies."

While all the countries in the UK initially had a “four nations” response to the virus, there has been divergence since Nicola Sturgeon vowed not to be "pressured" by Westminster into "prematurely" easing any restrictions and her approval ratings have far exceeded Boris Johnson's.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson admits UK lockdown 'could have been done differently'

More than 45,000 people in the UK have died from coronavirus, government figures show, though the death toll including cases linked to the virus is thought to exceed 65,000.

But Hannan believes "the high death rates in England may have partly been an accounting error". and that "UK has lower infection rates than much of Europe".

Throughout the crisis, ministers have spoken about being "guided" by the science, but some scientists insist an earlier shutdown would have saved lives.

Hannan says this is not a reason for Scotland to leave the UK, writing: "But even if businesses and researchers based in England lead the world out of the crisis, even if the UK economy surges, that will not determine the future of the Union. Nationality is determined by the heart, not the head; by poems, not ledgers."

Hannan says that people are turning to independence because Britishness is associated with racism.

"Britishness, never popular on the Left, is nowadays systematically associated with racism, colonialism and xenophobia," he added. 

"In an age which treats victimhood as the supreme virtue, there is no longer merit in being the greatest country in the world. A perverted version of our history is propagated by public bodies and academic institutions. Slavery, for example, is portrayed as a peculiarly British vice when, in fact, it was Britain that extirpated an institution that had been widespread on every continent for thousands of years."

He concludes: "The Union, in short, has contributed mightily to the happiness of the human race. Let not man – nor woman – put it asunder."

READ MORE: Are we Unionists, Nationalists or something else altogether?

Independence supporters hit out at Hannan's comments, with commentator and National columnist Gerry Hassan saying that the "British brand" has already been trashed.

Others said the pandemic has shown the incompetence of the Tories.