Boris Johnson praises union with Scotland with growing aspirations for independence

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised, Thursday July 23, the " fantastic " and " powerful " union which has associated for 300 years the provinces constituting the United Kingdom, in the face of the return in force of the Scottish inclinations of independence linked to the crisis of the novel coronavirus.

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From the Orkney Islands, in the far north of Scotland, he swept away demands for a new referendum on the independence of the province, six years after a first ballot in which 55% of Scots voted to stay in the United Kingdom. " This union is a fantastic and powerful institution, " Boris Johnson told Sky News television station, " it has helped our country through difficult times ".

For the leader, the referendum of “ a few years ago ” constitutes a ballot which takes place only once per generation. " And no matter how you calculate, it hasn't been a generation " since 2014, he added.

The conservative party rolled down by the separatists

Demands for an independent Scotland are coming back in force after London's much-criticized handling of the novel coronavirus outbreak. According to a Panelbase poll, 54% of Scots were in favor of independence in July, three points more than in the previous six months.

Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the independence party SNP, tweeted " welcome " to Mr Johnson, whom she will not meet during his visit. She took the opportunity to reaffirm one of the " main arguments for the independence of Scotland ", namely being able "to make its own decisions, rather than having our future decided by politicians for whom we did not vote. ". In the legislative elections in December, Scotland voted overwhelmingly for the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP), defeating Boris Johnson's Tories.

The head of the SNP assured that she was trying " very hard " to collaborate with the other British provinces, because " it is in our common interest ". But she also warned that she would be " very firm " on " the right of the Scottish government " to make " its own decisions ", especially in matters of health. Hailed for its careful management during the pandemic, Nicola Sturgeon is according to the latest polls supported by 60% of Scots, well ahead of Boris Johnson, not very popular in the region.