United we stand

AT key moments in our history, we have faced the greatest threats together – and the global coronavirus pandemic has been no exception.

On his trip to Scotland yesterday, Boris Johnson was right to emphasise that the ‘sheer might’ of the Union has helped us to survive the crisis.

It was disingenuous of Nicola Sturgeon to suggest this amounted to ‘celebrating’ Covid19 to ‘make a constitutional argument’.

The Treasury’s furlough scheme and the involvement of the Armed Forces in the response to coronavirus demonstrate the worth of our historic alliance.

Without the intervention of the UK Government, 900,000 Scottish jobs could have been lost. And the Barnett formula ensures Scotland enjoys a proportionate share of UK spending.

It means that ministers in Scotland have access to billions of pounds in extra investment for the NHS.

The Prime Minister was also right to stress the role of the Union in rebuilding the shattered economy.

As he pointed out, there are differences across the UK in the exit paths from lockdown as a result of devolution, though often they are superficial.

In reality, we are united by a common objective – beating the coronavirus and restoring some normality after months of crippling lockdown.

The SNP will always seek to exploit division to fulfil its eternal aim of ripping apart the United Kingdom.

Its negative and reckless agenda is driven by little more than grievance – and that is why it will ultimately fail.

But Mr Johnson’s message as we emerge from this bleak period is infinitely more constructive: we will bounce back – and we are stronger together.