Boris should build to save the Union

In the past week, the Boris Bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland has changed into a Tory Tunnel and been ridiculed by a leading think tank. The Prime Minister’s plans for the bridge may have morphed but they have not disappeared, as the Fraser of Allander Institute would like to see.

The respected policy shop looked at the tunnel’s growth potential, climate impact, connectivity and opportunity costs and concluded: ‘It won’t deliver the economic boost some claim, it isn’t a priority, it would go to the wrong location, it wouldn’t be consistent with climate change objectives, and the money could be better spent on other things. Apart from that, it’s a cracking idea.’

It was an unusually sassy take from a staid institution and it should be noted that Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has said the bridge/tunnel remains ‘at discussion stage’. The UK Government believes the symbolism of an Ulster crossing is valuable to the Union, and while it still might be, ministers are in danger of getting caught up in symbolism rather than the more important mission of reasserting the UK Government as Scotland’s primary government.

So much has already been ceded to Holyrood in powers and revenue control that the salvageability of the Union is an open question.