'You want to breakup the union you send Boris Johnson up to Scotland'

20 June 2022, 18:25

A Boris Johnson victory at the next General Election would signal the end of the union, according to Tory grandee, Lord Patten.

Speaking on LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr, the former chairman of the Conservative Party and last Governor of Hong Kong, said if Boris Johnson were to win a second election it would “hasten the breakup of the Union… we’re talking about the possibility of the breakup of the union in those circumstances.”

Asked if he would he prefer to see Sir Keir Starmer win the election to hold the union together, he added: “I would prefer to see probably a coalition that would hold the union together… you want to breakup the union you send Boris Johnson up to Scotland."

The Prime Minister's popularity ratings are at a record low in Scotland.

The latest Ipsos’ Scottish Political Monitor, found dissatisfaction with his performance at 83%, with just 12% of Scots satisfied.

Furthermore 59% of people in Scotland feel they are worse off than they were a year ago, and two thirds (64%) think they would be worse off in the future if Boris Johnson’s Conservatives win the next General Election.

It has been speculated that an early General Election may be called next year - the same year Nicola Sturgeon has pledged her supporters will see the holding of a second independence referendum.

Last week she relaunched her independence campaign and revealed that by summer recess she will have told the Scottish Parliament how she intends to hold a lawful referendum without the support of the UK government.

Pressed again, on whether a Johnson victory would spell disaster, Lord Patten, who is also Chancellor of Oxford University, said: “I think for me, the Conservatives unless they change very radically it would be a disaster for them, and the rest of us!”

He was also asked about the government's treatment of the BBC and severely criticised Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.

He said: “The words Nadine Dorries and culture shouldn’t appear in the same sentence.

"It’s an appalling idea that this minister should be threatening the BBC and that others should be going along with it.

"Trying to box the BBC into giving special favours in the way the news is treated to the government... we should have nothing to do with it and we should make a real fuss about it. And it is the sort of issue that would make old fashioned Tories like me want to throw up and want to see the end of this government.”

Last night in a frank interview with Rachael Johnson on LBC ahead of a phone-in, Nadine Dorries spoke of her support of Boris Johnson and said: “It was absolutely obvious Boris would get the Conservatives the kind of majority they deserved.

“I’ve always seen the potential in him. He… had the radical agenda to get things done that needed to be done.”

She explained she thought Boris promoted her to culture secretary as he ‘knew she’d deliver’ in the post.

“To get things done in Westminster sometimes you’ve got to find ways ‘round and through,” she said.

“He knew I wasn’t someone who was going to ‘go down the road of process’.

“I’m proud to say we are knocking it out of the park in my department.”

She also said “thank goodness” that the BBC licence fee was frozen.

“It was an absolute commitment to do that. Trying to keep people’s bills down at a time when they are seriously suffering with the cost-of-living crisis was something we had to achieve.”