Senior Scottish Conservatives fear Boris Johnson’s election as Tory leader could be a “catastrophe” for the UK, because it is likely to turbo-charge the campaign for Scottish independence.
Senior Tories believe Johnson’s zeal for Brexit will immediately boost support for a fresh referendum – a view echoed by Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, on Sunday. Johnson as prime minister would be “devastating, disastrous” for the party and make the case for independence stronger than ever, she said.
Scottish Tories fear Johnson’s election is a foregone conclusion given his sizeable lead among English Tory activists and members, a lead that could withstand the revelations about his late-night row with this girlfriend Carrie Symonds.
“He would have to be guilty of criminality on a huge scale to be stopped,” said one senior Conservative colleague and critic. “Our job is to move this from being a catastrophe to a challenge.” » | Severin Carrell | Sunday, June 23, 2019
