For too long the Union has been taken for granted

Last month, Boris Johnson marked one year as Prime Minister. He did so not by making a speech from Downing Street but instead by travelling north to Orkney in Scotland. Those few days also saw a historic cabinet meeting, focused solely on strengthening the Union, a sign of the government’s commitment to the centuries-old family of nations that makes up the United Kingdom.

There are those who may wonder why the Prime Minister feels the need to spell out this commitment. Surely the UK has been bound together in a common cause during the Covid crisis? The numerous Treasury intervention schemes, Ministry of Defence field hospital, sharing of data – the UK government and its devolved partners have been forced to work together for the first time in more than 20 years.

In Wales, a third of our workforce remains on a salary thanks to the Treasury’s furlough scheme. Key strategic employers have been protected by the commitment of the entire UK, not just the nation where a business happens to find itself.