With all the crises coming down the track, the Union has not received as much attention as it should in the Tory leadership contest. But given that the October supreme court hearing on the Scottish government’s plan for another independence referendum will push the issue right back up the agenda, the candidates should be thinking about it more.
As I say in the Times today, the new prime minister will be the fourth that Sturgeon has dealt with as first minister. Whoever wins should follow three rules in dealing with her. First, they should not allow her to treat them as some kind of foreign visitor when they come to Scotland. They should avoid a trip to Bute House, where Sturgeon stands in front of a saltire and they a Union Jack, as if they are some overseas head of government.
In October it will seem odd that Sturgeon wants to talk about independence, not one of the most difficult winters in living memory
One veteran of Johnson’s Downing Street recalls how Johnson was ambushed at Bute House on his first visit to Scotland as PM.
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