WELL finally we now know. The Conservative Party in the UK have confirmed in a YouGov poll that they would “ditch” Scotland and for that matter Northern Ireland and make them sacrificial lambs on the altar of Brexit! Around 67% of the poll said that the delivery of Brexit is worth breaking away from Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Their so-called Unionist credentials are in tatters. From now on, any such comment from Ruth Davidson and her lackeys in Westminster and Holyrood about the precious union will not just be hollow but a total prevarication. The whole Union argument is now redundant. Even the new Prime Minister and other contenders in the Tory party including our Ruth cannot use the phrase “we will not allow a Section 30” as they are now members of a party that does give a fig if we leave the no-longer-precious Union!

I have been for some time indicating that Brexit was not JUST about leaving the EU. It highlighted vividly the position of Scotland within the so-called UK. Scotland, an overwhemingly Remain nation, was disregarded. It was ignored with derision and disrespect in Westminster, left out of debates on national broadcasts, suffered unjustified criticism in the bulk of the national press (except in our National) and much more. The result of this devastating poll is that all our concerns have been vindicated.

The so-called Conservative and Unionist Party is just a Conservative party or in fact an English Nationalist Party. In reality it is the Brexit Party in disguise and I have little doubt that both these parties will now join together or have a pact not to compete with each other at the next General Election, which is surely to come and soon, particularly with the state of the Labour party at this time. I have no idea where those Remainers in the Tory party will find a refuge, and care little.

The position of the Tory party in Scotland is now fascinating. We already know that the Tory MPs in Scotland all voted for PM candidates that went against Ruth Davidson’s choice. It is no longer a Unionist party. How will Ruth’s MPs and MSPs now see the future particularly in Scotland? Will we see the “New Brexit Party” in Scotland? Will Ruth and all her supporters join it? Clearly the Ruth Davidson battlecry “there is no support for independence in Scotland” could be replaced with “Yes there is!” Lots of Tory voters couldn’t care less if Scotland does get independence, particularly as it is such a Remain country. Bring it on please.

Finally, the SNP party and government must make as much political capital as it possibly can from these revelations. They have to restate that it always has been and always will be about ENGLAND. Is it not interesting that for the last three years of Brexit down south it was always about the EU and getting out of it? In Scotland it has always been about being Remain and about our country being heard. This has been met with a complete silence, derision, disrespect and a complete ignoring of the Brexit compromise papers produced by Holyrood and the pleas of our MPs in Westminster about some consensus being achieved.

Consequences for the Union were constantly being made clear by all our MSPs and MPs to no avail. “No Section 30! No second referendum!” was the Tory mantra at every opportunity. Now suddenly, with the likelihood of Brexit being at risk, and of the Tory party faithful leaving for the Brexit Party in droves if Brexit does not happen, and with a desire to indicate – no, warn – that the next Tory PM should be a dyed-in-the-wool Brexiteer/right-winger, the true credentials of the Tory party in Scotland and the rest of the UK have been bared for all to see.

They are now the Conservative party and only the Conservative party. They still, however, are an English-run party that have representatives in our Holyrood parliament

Folks, independence has just become a little closer. Rejoice and keep our resolve firm.

Dan Wood
Kirrimuir