THE reincarnation of Baroness Davidson alongside the coronation of Referee Ross MP has all the hallmarks of Cummings and Johnson, whose manipulations, fear tactics and fantasy promises have already won the Brexit vote and an 80-seat Westminster majority. Johnson’s “no border” declaration is not a fact but states his UK ambition.

Post-Brexit, Downing Street aims to control Scotland and the “internal UK market”, regulating in favour of powerful business interests, often Conservative party donors. A UK Government body will check proposed Holyrood legislation complies with Westminster policy on the economy, environment and public services. Scottish Tory MPs have already voted for a UK Agriculture Bill allowing the UK sale of USA-produced chlorine-washed chicken, hormone-treated beef, and foods grown using 72 pesticides currently banned here.

READ MORE: Revealed: Davidson’s secret visit to Ross just days before Carlaw quit

The Tory General Election manifesto promised Brexit deals for Scottish farming, fishing, oil and gas. It made commitments on infrastructure, science, research, training and freeports – free of tax and regulations. Although the Scottish Tories did not win public support for this manifesto, Alister Jack, Ruth Davidson and Douglas Ross will increase the Tory power base from their 70 staff at the Scotland Office in London, and control the UK Government’s Edinburgh “hub” with 3,000 civil servants at their disposal, carefully allocating grants for political purposes and through increases in direct funding to local councils and community groups.

With EU structural funds redeployed to a UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the administrative costs of £10 million for the UK’s Scotland Office in London will be enhanced by £840 million allocated to the UK Hub in Edinburgh for the purpose of “strengthening the great Union between the United Kingdom’s four nations.”

Beware the Tories bearing gifts – this funding will be the Tory treat to trick the Scottish public into believing the fantasy of post-Brexit prosperity. Brexit will still involve huge losses to the Scottish economy and trade.

READ MORE: Is this Daily Mail article more proof Douglas Ross is a front for Ruth Davidson?

With our new power triplets, Ross, Davidson and Jack, we will have two governments through democratic elections to the Scottish Parliament and autocratic appointments by Downing Street. The Tory manifesto introduction by Johnson stated: “I can guarantee that we will reject any request from the SNP government to hold an independence referendum” and on legal challenges to their decisions: “We will ensure that judicial review … is not abused to conduct politics by another means.” It is inconceivable that the present Conservative government will break the 2019 manifesto commitment to “stop a second independence referendum.”

The Scottish Parliament elections in 2021 offer a great opportunity for the sovereign people of Scotland, including new Scots, to move towards ending the Treaty of Union and deliver a second independence referendum. A Scottish National Party standalone plan for yet another mandate for a second independence referendum would fail to deliver that second referendum and would haemorrhage votes from the SNP.

Maximising constituency election votes for indyref2 requires an SNP commitment that an SNP Scottish Government would arrange a referendum following UK refusal of consent. Maximising regional list votes in favour of independence requires a recognition that the people’s sovereignty would be best expressed through a new Scotland Chooses Yes (SCY) coalition built up from local Yes groups and involving the SNP, Greens and other political groups alongside the wide range of national organisations committed to independence. Regional members of SCY would select list candidates, including nominees from the SNP, Greens and other organisations, which would not put up their own list election candidates.

Scotland needs to revive the passion and optimism of 2014 to break the log-jam of UK isolationism, Tory deception and Scottish constitutional division. The active involvement of the Yes movement in leading a coalition for independence could be the key to unlocking a more positive future for a better Scotland.

Andrew Reid
Comrie, Perthshire