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. Most Scottish members are expected to vote for him, and Hunt flew to north-eastern Scotland on Sunday for an early campaign visit. Privately, many senior Scottish Tories are in despair. It showed 63% would rather see Scotland independent than abandon Brexit – a position very few Scottish Tories share. Scottish Tories are already working on a strategy to soften the impact of a Johnson premiership.

Source: The Guardian June 23, 2019 14:37 UTC