Interview: David Mundell on being sacked, IndyRef2 and no-deal Brexit

When Boris Johnson sacked David Mundell as Scottish Secretary, Ruth Davidson was said to be ‘livid’ over the decision. One of 17 ministers to leave government with Theresa May, there had been an expectation among Scottish Tories that he would stay in place – as a figure with ministerial experience unlike the bulk of the Scottish Conservative MPs who entered Parliament in 2017. In the end, the job went to Alister Jack – a politician who is more relaxed about the prospect of no deal.

With reports of a growing rift between the Scottish Conservatives and Boris Johnson, I sat down with Mundell at the Fringe by the Sea festival to discuss the future of conservatism in Scotland. Reflecting on his four years in the Scotland Office (and his longer stint as the only Scottish Tory MP), Mundell said he had plenty of regrets – one being that he hadn’t been allowed a Scotland Office cat due to an occasional visitor’s allergy.