TONY Blair has said he “frankly doubts” that the people of Scotland would want a second independence referendum, even if they return an SNP majority on May 6.
Speaking to ITV News, the former prime minister also claimed that the Union “would already be in tatters” if it weren’t for his party introducing devolution in 1997.
However, he said he was “wrong” to think that the creation of the devolved administrations would end calls for independence north of the Border.
Blair also said that he believes a No vote would still win any second referendum in Scotland though it is a “tougher fight than anticipated”.
In an interview due to air as part of the ITV News at 10’s show on April 27, the former Labour prime minister was asked about the weaknesses and strengths of devolution.
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He told the channel: "If the Labour Party hadn’t implemented its manifesto commitment to do devolution in 1997, the Union would already be in tatters.
“Where I think we were wrong was in believing that devolution would end the argument of independence - it hasn’t ended it, but it is still a very substantial part of the bulwark against it.
“My best bet is that Scotland will vote ultimately to remain inside the UK … I agree it has proved to be a tougher fight than we anticipated, although in 2014 when we had the referendum - and the majority was for Scotland to stay - that ended the issue … until Brexit put it back on the agenda.”
Blair added: "I do think one of the weaknesses in the way we approached devolution was not to build real cultural ties and emphasise the enormous things that the different countries in the United Kingdom have in common."
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Asked if the Tory government now in Westminster’s plan to plaster Union flags on projects and buildings in Scotland was forming those cultural ties, Blair said: "I don't think that's the thing that's going to make the difference, it’s emphasising what we do have in common."
Asked whether an SNP majority might be a mandate for a second referendum, Blair said: "I'm not sure that even if the SNP win a majority in the Scottish Parliament that it necessarily means that people want to go through the disruption of an independence campaign - I would frankly doubt that."
The former prime minister also said that Westminster attempts to resist a referendum would become “more difficult over time if opinion looks as though it is fixed”.
SNP depute leader Keith Brown said it was "no surprise" to see a former Labour prime minister side with the Tories.
Brown said: "Only the people of Scotland will decide if they want to have an independence referendum, not Tony Blair or Boris Johnson, although it is no surprise to see a former Labour prime minister siding with the Tories in their Trump-like bid to deny democracy.
"The election on May 6 will present the people of Scotland with a choice, whether to put their future into the hands of Boris Johnson's sleaze-ridden Tory government or to put their future into their own hands by re-electing Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister with Both Votes SNP."
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