Indy voters won’t fall for lies – Helen Martin

Boris Johnson has been accused of being a liar, but the promises made by unionists in 2014 have not be kept, writes Helen Martin.
Boris Johnson in an aircraft hanger at RAF Lossiemouth (Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)Boris Johnson in an aircraft hanger at RAF Lossiemouth (Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)
Boris Johnson in an aircraft hanger at RAF Lossiemouth (Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

WHEN Boris Johnson told his ministers to follow his lead by visiting Scotland to promote the UK, it reminded me of back in 2014 when Westminster leaders and reps, including Gordon Brown, charged up to encourage everyone to vote No in the referendum.

That, they said, was the only way to stay in the EU. That, they said, would increase the powers of the Scottish Government. To be fair to Boris, he is accused of being a liar, something which is clearly just the same as Cameron, Miliband and Clegg were back then.

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It’s not going to work, of course. But the intriguing aspect of it is why Boris felt (or was told by someone mysterious, perhaps Cummings) that it was important to pay us a visit. At Westminster he thinks nothing of dismissing, ignoring or yelling at SNP MPs, and never mentions much about Scotland anyway.

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Orkney and Lossiemouth are not going to dominate the 2021 election, but he’s not brave enough to tour Glasgow or Edinburgh, which is probably why he wants his other chaps to risk the city boos.

He has always stuck to the line that the UK is the nation and the country, of which Scotland, in his view, is a mere region. Someone has to spell out to him that an SNP and or independence majority approaching 55-60 per cent will be recognised by the rest of the world as a democratic victory for a declaration of another referendum, regardless of his “No” to Section 30.

Some Scots may still vote for Tories, Labour or Lib Dems, but there is nothing any Tory ministers can promise to reduce Indy voters. All promises have been lies.

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