BORIS: NO RERUN OF 2014 VOTE
Block Indyref 2 and Scotland can go forward, says Johnson
The Prime Minister warned of the threat to the Union of a ‘coalition of chaos’ as he vowed to reject a rerun of the 2014 vote in all circumstances – even if he only leads a minority government.
He said he will ‘rule it out’ because he would never destroy ‘the most successful political partnership of the last 300 years’.
It came as Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw said another referendum should not take place for at least 35 years.
Last week, Mr Corbyn refused to rule out granting an independence referendum but said he would not allow it to take place in the ‘early years’ of a Labour government.
Speaking yesterday as he launched the Scottish Conservative manifesto, titled ‘No To Indyref 2’, Mr Johnson branded Mr Corbyn the ‘prime ditherer’.
He said: ‘The only way he can conceivably form a government is if he agrees to Nicola Sturgeon’s demands to have a second referendum on Scotland.
‘And do you think he is really going to be in a position to refuse? Do you think he is tough enough to refuse? Do you think he is tough enough to stand up to Nicola if Nicola puts the hard word on him?
‘Do we want another referendum? That’s why this manifesto is so aptly named.
‘We don’t want another referendum on Scotland. We rule it out because we don’t want to destroy the most successful political partnership of the last 300 years.’
In the foreword for the Scottish Tory manifesto, Mr Johnson said that stopping a second independence referendum would result in a ‘pent-up tidal wave of investment into Scotland’.
He said it would allow a renewed focus on public services, and added: ‘Stop a second independence referendum and we can release that lion from its cage and Scotland can move forward.’
Mr Johnson said the manifesto will promote Scotland within the Union, including a new sector deal for the oil and gas industry to encourage low-carbon technology, cutting duty on whisky, supporting agriculture and guaranteeing the UK will leave the Common Fisheries Policy and become an independent coastal state next year.
He said: ‘The most important difference between this One Nation Conservative Government and the Corbyn/Sturgeon coalition is we will run a strong economy.’
In an address that was enthusiastically welcomed by the audience of Tory members in North Queensferry,
Fife, Mr Johnson predicted that the UK will be ‘more united than ever’ in ten years’ time.
He said: ‘We are stuck at the moment in this endless dither, delay, deadlock, division, defeatism, despair, doubt. It’s a waste, we need to get on.
‘I’m afraid all that Nicola and Jeremy Corbyn will do together is waste 2020, and I think particularly the indyref referendum will be very divisive.
‘We had a referendum in Scotland in 2014 and I think Nicola Sturgeon told the people at the time it was a once in a generation event, did she not? I think she should stick to that line, it’s a good one.’
Asked yesterday if he could still
‘We can release the lion from the cage’
rule out granting a referendum if he leads a minority government, he said: ‘I don’t normally answer that kind of hypothetical question but I think in your case I’m going to make an exception. I certainly can rule out any such, I genuinely think any such referendum would be bad for our country.’
Mr Carlaw later suggested a referendum should not take place until 2054 at the earliest.
He said there are no circumstances where he believes a Tory Government should grant the power to hold another referendum, adding: ‘No if, no but, no maybe. It will be no.’
During his speech at the manifesto launch event, Mr Carlaw said:
‘I will say to all pro-Union voters who are thinking hard what to do at this election, voters who might have been thinking of giving it a miss, or people who haven’t voted for us before: forget Scottish Labour. They have abandoned the Union and Jeremy Corbyn has abandoned you.’
Responding to Mr Carlaw’s statement, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘I think the point Jackson Carlaw and Conservatives miss is this one – it’s not up to Jackson Carlaw what the future of Scotland is.
‘It’s up to the people of Scotland and it is not for any politician to set conditions or limits on the ability of any country to exercise its right to democracy.’
Miss Sturgeon will today focus on the threat of Brexit when she launches the SNP’s manifesto at an event in Glasgow. She will claim that Brexit ‘is nowhere near being done’ and that ‘there is worse to come’.
The First Minister is also expected to disclose that she will demand increased funding for the NHS across the UK in return for propping up a Labour government, including in England.
She will continue: ‘It’s up to Scotland to decide if it wants to consider the question of independence again and it is up to Scotland to decide whether or not it wants to become an independent country.
‘The Tories clearly have no respect for Scottish democracy at all, and the opportunity people in Scotland have in this election, is to make sure that the Tories are not in government after this election.’