Boris Johnson has insisted he was not helping the SNP break up the Union as the Scottish Tory leader challenged his English colleagues to “look in the mirror” and prove they are doing enough to bolster it. The Prime Minister said that Douglas Ross was “talking about those who don’t value the Union in the way I do” when he criticised some English Tories and Cabinet ministers over their “defeatism and disinterest.” Speaking as the Conservatives held their virtual party conference, he denied his style of leadership combined with his Brexit policy was driving Scotland and England apart. Mr Johnson also echoed his predecessor, Theresa May, by stating that “this is not the time” for another independence referendum, even if the SNP wins a majority in next year’s Holyrood election. The Prime Minister argued that the country should instead focus on recovering from the coronavirus pandemic and reiterated that Nicola Sturgeon had promised the 2014 vote was a once-in-a-generation event.
