UK politics - Boris Johnson's performance and the potential ramifications for Scottish independence.

There has been a huge outcry in recent weeks about Boris Johnson, and other cabinet ministers, holding Christmas parties for staff last year while, at the same time, locking down the country and banning such parties for the ordinary citizens of the country. Worse was the fact that relatives of those dying were unable to visit their loved ones and be with them one last time. Even worse was the fact that the Tories seemed to have found this amusing and laughed about their own ignoring of the restrictions - while everyone else suffered. This was nothing but Tory privilege and disrespect showing it’s ugly face, once again. There is not much more that can be said about this, and better writers than myself have said all that needs to be said. What I want to consider are the possible outcomes of this behaviour. There are ramifications for the Tory party and there are also (I hope) ramifications for Scottish independence (which I’ll explore later).
As David Cameron recently said, Johnson can get away with behaviour that others simply wouldn’t. I do not, therefore, expect Johnson to resign - no matter what he does or has done. On the other hand, the Tory party might decide that enough is enough and get rid of him. The Tory party is now in danger of losing the next general election (as a couple of recent opinion polls have indicated, along with the danger of Johnson losing his own seat). The biggest threat to Johnson will likely come from his northern MP’s who won what were once safe Labour seats. The voters of those areas have achieved their racist, narrow minded aim of leaving the EU (so why continue to vote Tory?) - and BREXIT is not turning out to be as plain sailing as Johnson promised it would be. First we had a shortage of delivery drivers resulting in empty supermarket shelves. Jonhson’s government was forced to try and tempt drivers from the EU to return (if only for short term work). Then we had staff shortages in the NHS as doctors, nurses and auxiliary staff from the EU and other countries also returned home - while still in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to that there are the staff shortages in care homes due, again, to workers from non-UK countries returning home as a result of BREXIT. Once again the UK government was forced to offer bribes in the hope of getting some of them back - once again on a short term basis. We even have owners of BREXIT supporting businesses, like the moron who owns Weatherspoons, finding it difficult to get staff. In addition to that we have the ongoing issue of Northern Ireland which is also proving more difficult to resolve than Johnson claimed it would be (without just breaking agreements made with the EU during the BREXIT negotiations, which has left the UK being seen, rightly, as untrustworthy in international deals). In addition to that, the fishing communities have not got the deal they were promised. Having said that, that is not too surprising as the fishermen wanted to have their cake and eat it. Did they really think the EU would be happy to lose their share of the catch caught in UK waters and not seek ways to oppose this? The list goes on and on. I see a very good chance that many of those, in those once safe Labour areas, who voted Tory last time, will return to the Labour Party in sufficient numbers to win back many of those seats. Keir Starmer may not be the most charismatic leader but he offers a Labour government not riddled with the sleaze of this Tory government - and he seems to be offering a more middle of the road Labour Party which many in England seem to prefer over Corbyn’s left wing stance. Labour’s shift back to the centre could well help it recover much it has lost in England but it won’t, I suspect, help it recover any seats in Scotland. I believe it was partly, after all, Blair’s middle of the road (some say Tory) policies which drove many Scottish left wingers to the SNP in the first place.  As an aside, I have to say that I am disappointed that Angela Raynor retracted her statement about the Tories being ‘scum’ as that is what far too many of them are.
Another threat to Johnson now comes from the Tory heartland. Many there are concerned that Johnson’s promised ‘levelling up’ will not be new money (especially after the expense of dealing with COVID) but instead be taken from the money currently spent in those areas (this assuming that any ‘levelling up’ actually happens). This indicates the selfish “I’m alright, Jack” outlook of many Tory voters. They cannot even consider the problems experienced by their own people in the north of England (never mind in the devolved countries). This alone might help Scottish citizens, if the SNP play it right, recognise that independence is the only way forward.
Before going on I want to make it clear (as I’ve done before) that when I say ‘Scots’, in what follows, that I am talking about the people who currently live and work in Scotland. I am not referencing some blood or DNA link to the past - but everyone and anyone, no matter where from or their religion, skin colour or gender.
Although nothing in politics is certain, it is my hope that Johnson’s performance (and the bending of his own rules to suit himself) will have persuaded a majority of Scots that independence is the only way forward (and a recent opinion poll indicates that the YES side is now in front again by about five percentage points). The Tory party in England may never have another (crafty and lying) moron like Johnson as leader (although some of those touted to replace him, like Liz Truss, are not much better) but the YES side needs to make it clear that we are exposed to such a possibility as long as we remain a part of the UK. It is my hope that when Johnson resigns, or is forced out or loses the next election, that we will have a UK prime Minister (even a Tory one) who recognises the democratic mandate to allow IndyRef2 to be held - and accept whatever the outcome is. I know that a Labour Party in power will not want to lose the possibility of many Labour seats in Scotland - or the support of the SNP in keeping them in office - but, at the same time, I do not think a Labour Party Prime Minister will refuse to allow IndyRef2 to go ahead as doing so would be against everything the Labour Party stands for (which includes democracy). Assuming that a second Scottish independence referendum is held sometime in the next few years then I fear it will be a long, long time before independence is achieved if it is not won at that stage (probably not until after the older generation have all passed away). Since I am one of that ‘older generation’ then I would probably not live long enough to see an independent Scotland. In other words, if Johnson’s behaviour has not persuaded a majority of Scots of the need for independence now then I do not know what will.
As a further aside, I continue to be amazed and astounded at the Scottish Unionists attacking the SNP for planning for IndyRef2, while COVID-19 still ravages the World, while Johnson’s government actually proceeded with BREXIT during this period. Hypocrisy or double standards? Call it what you want but I remain astounded that those Unionists, especially the Tory ones, fail to see this contradiction in their argument. I also find it astounding that the Unionists attack the SNP for being nationalists while the nationalism shown by those supporting BREXIT was a far more extreme display of nationalism than is displayed by most of those seeking Scottish independence. I am not saying that there are not nationalists within the independence movement (or a degree of nationalism in most independence supporters) but the majority of those Scots are mainly seeking a better country to live in, and one that more matches their political aspirations, rather than the narrow racism displayed by most BREXIT supporters. It would appear that the Unionists are saying that extreme UK nationalism is good but that Scottish nationalism is bad!?

A closing clarification about nationalism. Some of my ‘friends’ in the Scottish independence movement might object to me saying that their are nationalists within their ranks. I would point out that I said a ‘degree’ of nationalism. All independence movements, and I include BREXIT in this, generate a degree of nationalism - I fear this cannot be avoided. At best this is a support for one’s country and culture - but at worst it develops into a racist outlook against those who seemingly oppose your aims (usually due to lack of knowledge and understanding). The BREXIT campaign certainly generated racist views against people not born in the UK - and the Scottish independence movement has certainly generated, in some, an anti-English sentiment. To those in the Scottish independence camp who display such anti-English, racist views, I would say that it is not the English people in general who oppose us (although some might feel insulted that we’d want to leave them) but the UK establishment which seeks to hold onto Scotland and impose it’s UK outlook and values on us. In other words, do not tar all English people with the same anti-Scottish independence views held by those in the UK establishment. I also need to make it clear that most independence supporting Scots just want (as the BREXITEERS did) to be free to run our own affairs, as much as possible (within, say, the EU), and live in a country which is able to follow the political direction it wants to - without the UK trying to prevent it from doing so. The struggle for independence has, sadly, increased any pre-existing anti-English sentiment but, on the whole, this struggle is one which seeks to build a better Scotland - not wave the saltire in English faces. But what about those from south of the border who utter anti-Scottish racist views? I am tempted to say “keep it up - you are only assisting the independence cause” but I will not do so. Racist views from anyone towards anyone else are simply wrong and anyone with such views need to take a long hard look at why they think as they do - and try, instead, to understand those they verbally, or even physically, abuse.