Mundell to Bojo as he is axed: Let Ruth help
DAVID Mundell warned Boris Johnson about the scale of his task in Scotland as he was sacked.
The former Scottish Secretary said he confronted the Prime Minister with a series of negative press cuttings when he was axed.
In his first full interview since being replaced, Mr Mundell told how he also urged Mr Johnson to listen to Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson because of her ‘track record’ in elections.
Speaking yesterday, Mr Mundell also revealed he would not seek to stop Mr Johnson getting a No Deal Brexit through Parliament.
He said he believes the next Holyrood election should determine whether there is another independence referendum – and that pro-Union parties should consider standing down candidates in some constituencies to help deny a pro-independence majority.
He added that he expects a general election in the autumn.
At a Fringe on the Sea event in North Berwick, East Lothian, Mr Mundell insisted he had an ‘amicable’ discussion with Mr Johnson when he was sacked and has no ‘personal animus’ towards him.
But he said: ‘I did give him some newspaper cuttings from Scotland about his taking over the job, because the press reaction even from papers which in London were relatively favourable was not.
‘It is very important to understand the scale of the task and the challenging political environment that Scotland is.
‘When he saw himself mocked up as [Toy Story character] Buzz Lightyear he thought it was going to be favourable but when he read the headline he realised it wasn’t.’
Mr Mundell urged Mr Johnson to heed the advice of Miss Davidson, who had previously urged the Prime Minister not to sack him.
He said: ‘Boris is clear that he wants to work with Ruth. Ruth is clear she wants to work with him. My advice to him is clear – he needs to listen to what she says, she has the electoral track record in Scotland in terms of delivering additional MSPs, additional MPs, additional councillors, of being in tune with Scottish public opinion.’
Under Theresa May, Mr Mundell led the opposition to another independence referendum with Miss Davidson by insisting the SNP did not have the mandate to demand one and there was no evidence people wanted the poll.
But he admitted yesterday that the UK Government may need to give Nicola Sturgeon the power to hold another referendum after the next Holyrood election in 2021.
He said: ‘If the election is fought explicitly on the issue of another referendum and there is a majority of Nationalist parties, evidently you do have to listen to that.’
He added that the Tories had not considered standing aside for other pro-Union parties in the past and would not do so in a general election, but said: ‘As we head into the 2021 election, all Unionist forces have to think about how they best organise themselves for that.’
Confirming he would not try to block No Deal, Mr Mundell said: ‘We have to have a Brexit rather than no Brexit, honouring the 2016 referendum.
‘I would never vote against a Conservative government in a vote of no confidence. As a Conservative MP, that’s not something you can ever be supporting.’
Of a possible general election, he said: ‘It’s certainly a possibility there will be an election in autumn. Mr Johnson said he won’t proactively call an election but obviously Parliament, by going down the route of a vote of no confidence, would force an election.’
An SNP spokesman said: ‘The Scottish Government has a crystalclear mandate to give people a choice over their future.
‘A majority of Scots now support independence, with most in favour of a vote before 2021.’
‘Ruth’s in tune with Scots public opinion’