THE head of Boris Johnson’s Union unit wanted to establish a pro-UK grassroots movement but quit after the Prime Minister refused to give him new powers to pursue a “hardball” strategy to confront the SNP, according to a report today.
Oliver Lewis, who resigned from Downing Street on Friday, had mapped out a strategy to refuse a referendum and challenge First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on the Scottish Goverment's record ahead of the May election.
In a plan modelled on Vote Leave’s success in the 2016 EU referendum, ardent Brexiteer Lewis wanted to set up a pro-Union grassroots organisation to counter the Yes movement.
READ MORE: Scotland Office fought for years to hide secret papers on devolution referendum
Lewis, who convinced Johnson to threaten to break international law in order to force through a Brexit deal, was prepared to “stretch the law to its limits” to prevent another independence referendum, the Sunday Times reported.
He had also urged Johnson to keep referring - inaccurately - to the SNP as “the Scottish nationalist party” at Prime Minister’s questions, a move that angered Ian Blackford, the SNP leader in Westminster.
“Oliver’s view is that there is a lot we can do to discombobulate the SNP,” said a friend. “The nationalist thing has diverted them into bickering about how nationalist they are.”
A source familiar with Lewis’s blueprint said: “The plan was [to] ram home messages that have great resonance in Scotland that the public services have been decimated by SNP policies.”
READ MORE: Secret files reveal William Hague asked Tony Blair to suspend devolution vote
Lewis told Johnson he needed total control of the plan so it was clear that he was speaking with the Prime Minister’s authority. But he quit as head of the Union unit - set up to stop independence - when it became clear that would not be forthcoming.
No 10 sources said that Lewis wanted to be “far more confrontational” than Michael Gove, the minister who chairs the cabinet committee on the Union.
Insiders told the Sunday Times said that the departure of Lewis means the government adopt a less abrasive tone towards the SNP.
“The argument will still be that it would be dangerous at this time to have a referendum when there are far more important things to be dealing with,” said an informed source.
Lewis left his role in Downing Street on Friday after just two weeks.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson urged to reveal Union Unit's cost to taxpayer
The former head of research at the Vote Leave campaign under Dominic Cummings acted as the de facto deputy to David Frost when he negotiated the UK’s Brexit deal with the EU.
No 10 has been beset by bitter internal power struggles in recent months, most dramatically the departure in November of Cummings, Johnson’s chief aide, shortly after the resignation of another Vote Leave alumnus, the then head of communications, Lee Cain.
Those departures were spurred after Cain’s promotion to chief of staff was blocked by Johnson’s fiancee, Carrie Symonds. The loss of Lewis is also likely to be seen as connected to the continued fighting for influence inside No 10.
Lewis replaced the former Scottish Conservative MP Luke Graham shortly after Johnson made a controversial lockdown visit to Scotland last month despite the First Minister raising questions whether the trip counted as essential, and therefore within the rules permitting travel.
Stewart Hosie MP, the SNP's Shadow Cabinet Office spokesman, said: "Oliver Lewis was out of the door of the failing Union Unit before he even had a chance to set his desk - following the steps of Luke Graham. With two heads of the unit quitting their roles in the space of a fortnight, the reality is that the Tories' anti-independence campaign is crumbling and its union unit unravelling.
"However, the entire episode raises very serious questions for Boris Johnson over how much of the taxpayers' money he has wasted on this shambles. Taxpayers have the right to know how much money is being splurged on Tory advisors - including Oliver Lewis, whose only campaign idea so far appears to revolve around mispronouncing the party's name."
Lewis’s departure followed the unexpected promotion of Frost to a seat around the Cabinet table earlier this week, despite him not being elected as an MP.
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 hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel