CABINET minister Michael Gove says he agrees with Nicola Sturgeon that we should avoid a “constitutional stooshie” during the coronavirus crisis.
Just days after the Tory leader visited Scotland to make the case for the Union, Gove said that “politicians should put aside wrangles over the constitution” and focus on day-to-day governance.
His comments come after he wrote a piece in today’s Times arguing that devolution gives people in Scotland the best of both worlds.
The Brexiteer spoke to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland today, and was asked about rising support for independence. Recent polls show 54% of Scots now back a Yes vote.
The presenter asked Gove whether Westminster would grant a Section 30 order to allow a second independence referendum to be held if the SNP gained a majority at next year’s Holyrood election, as polls indicate they are on track to.
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Gove replied: “Well, it’s not often, though it’s increasingly often, that I say I agree with Nicola. I agree with Nicola that we don’t want to get into a constitutional stooshie at the moment.
“What we do want to do is to make sure that we concentrate on the job in hand and that is making sure that the power of the UK economy is used to help everyone recover from this pandemic and I think that’s the most important thing.”
He said that politicians should “put aside wrangles” over constitutional issues, pointing to a recent poll showing issues like health and the economy coming ahead of independence on a list of Scottish voters’ priorities.
The journalist interrupted to say: “And yet, support for independence is at 54% and has been now for a number of months increasing.”
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster brushed off the rising support for a new referendum, saying the public view on the matter “falls and rises” – despite polling showing a consistent increase since the General Election last winter.
He went on: “But one thing that is firm and clear is that all of this together face facts on the ground, economic facts on the ground, with which we all need to deal and I think the mood of the moment certainly in all the conversations that I’ve had with friends in Scotland and with business people in Scotland, the mood at the moment is ‘put the politics to one side’.
“Concentrate on what governments can do well and the Scottish Government has its responsibilities, we work with them in order to make sure they have the financial support from the UK Government that they need.”
At no point did Gove answer the question about whether the Tory Government would grant a Section 30 order if the SNP win a majority at the Scottish Parliament election.
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Gove’s appearance on Good Morning Scotland comes a week after Boris Johnson instructed his ministers to make themselves more visible north of the Border.
The First Minister called off independence campaigning earlier this year as Covid-19 infections began to spread in Scotland.
Since then she has largely refrained from discussing the matter – though during Johnson’s visit she did say the Prime Minister was helping to highlight the case for independence.
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