The common cause of Scottish Unionism

Although it cannot be stated publicly, Labour and the Conservatives have much common cause in Scotland now. They won’t stand down in each other’s favour at the next election; but expect ‘paper’ candidates in constituencies where one is much stronger than the other and the Nationalist is vulnerable. Wavering SNP supporters can be divided into welfare drones (who have benefited under the SNP to the detriment of spending on health and schools), and ‘tartan Tories’, social conservatives who hoped that Kate Forbes would be SNP leader. Labour courts the former, the Tories the latter. Both parties pray that Humza Yousaf, the new First Minister, remains in office. He is the gift that keeps on giving. The biggest task for Sir Keir Starmer is to get out from under the weight of Gordon Brown on the subject. Brown led the original thrust for devolution in the 1990s. His political aim of thus entrenching Labour power collapsed utterly, yet he still thinks he knows how to dominate his native land.