BORIS Johnson’s best hope of saving the Union is committing to a second independence referendum, according to a former Scottish Conservative chairman.
The Prime Minister rejected a request for a Section 30 order from Holyrood and has refused to countenance the prospect of indyref2, claiming it would exacerbate “political stagnation”.
However, faced with soaring support for a Yes vote and the SNP ahead of the 2021 Scottish elections, former Tory MP Peter Duncan says the PM’s position is untenable.
He told the Sunday Times: “The way for Unionists to win the argument on independence is not to be seen to deny any clear mandate for a referendum that may exist after the elections next year.
“A ‘no, never’ approach will fan the flames for independence, as the smarter advisers in Downing Street are now making clear.
“The front-foot approach that I would recommend means that there needs to be a plan for an early response after next May’s election — dragging feet has never yet been proven to be a good platform for winning any argument.
“The route to defending the Union is to be prepared, then proactive and positive. Carping negativity looks likely to end in failure.”
READ MORE: Scottish independence: Yes support at 53% in YouGov poll
Duncan acknowledges that Brexit has transformed the debate. He explained: “For some, it may accentuate the argument for separation, but nationalists will have to argue that a union with Brussels is more important to Scotland than a union across the UK — that’s a tough argument to make, and a very difficult one to win.”
Support for independence has consistently been above 50% since the turn of the year, with recent Panelbase polls for the Sunday Times finding 54% of Scots back Yes.
A YouGov poll published for the Times last week put support at 53%, with the SNP on track for a landlside victory at next year’s election.
READ MORE: John Curtice: SNP majority would make Tory position on indyref2 untenable
Responding to Duncan’s comments on Twitter, SNP MP Pete Wishart wrote: “You hear this all the time from a growing number of Tories. They know they can’t stand in the way of an indyref if the SNP win big next year. You’ll hear more like this from them in the coming months.”
Depute leader Keith Brown added: “The Tories still don’t get it. This is about democracy and not tactics. It is simply not credible or democratic for Westminster to try to dictate Scotland’s future.
“The opinion polls confirm majority support for independence is becoming the settled will of the people of Scotland and it is the Scottish people who Boris Johnson must listen to.
“That’s why the SNP will be campaigning for every vote in next year’s Holyrood election to make sure Scotland sends a message to Downing Street that cannot be ignored.”
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