With an increased independence majority in the Scottish Parliament, Boris Johnson’s government has dropped its overt threat to block a second referendum. Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove rehearsed the new line on Sunday’s broadcast round, saying now is not the time to focus on anything other than coronavirus recovery.
He evaded the question of whether the UK government would take legal action if the Scottish Parliament passed a new independence vote. And he stressed that the Prime Minister is keen to work with Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on a common approach to coronavirus recovery.
Johnson has invited Sturgeon, First Welsh Minister Mark Drakeford and Northern Irish Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill to a “Summit” to discuss how they can work together “in the months and years to come” to address their mutual challenges . Sturgeon has promised to focus on recovery before passing an independence referendum bill, but it will do so within the first half of the five-year term.
Thursday’s elections rewarded incumbents in every country in Britain, with the Conservatives winning council seats and the Hartlepool by-elections in England, the SNP winning in Scotland and Mark Drakeford’s Labor scooping the best ever result in Wales. In England and Wales, Conservatives have completed their right-wing vote consolidation begun in 2019, wiping out Ukip and crushing the successor to Nigel Farage’s Brexit party.
Alienation of voters
But England’s conservative dominance and success among older white voters in traditionally Labor-electoral parts of the Northeast and Midlands could push the party into political positions and positions that will further alienate voters in Scotland and Wales.
Johnson has signaled his enthusiasm to wage more culture wars over Britain’s colonial past, racial relations and how to deal with historical crimes committed by former soldiers. And his attempts to bypass the Edinburgh and Cardiff governments by funding British badge projects in Scotland and Wales direct from London have been unpopular with those who value decentralization and advocate independence.
Labor leader Keir Starmer turned a setback into a crisis over the weekend when he tried to scapegoat Vice-Chairman Angela Rayner for the party’s losses in England. He released her from her role as party leader and campaign and campaign coordinator on Saturday just as some of the Labor Party’s best results were yielding.
The party lost the Hartlepool by-election by a wide margin, did poorly in other former industrial strongholds, and failed to win over the mayors of Tees Valley and the West Midlands from the Conservatives. But it held mayoral offices elsewhere, including London and Greater Manchester, and won the west of England from the Tories as well as the councils in the south of England.
Setback
There is no evidence that Rayner was the main culprit for Labour’s losses, and even if she was, Starmer cannot dismiss her from her more important position as vice-chair, which is elected by party members. After a violent backlash, Labor announced on Sunday that Rayner had indeed been promoted to a high-profile front bench role when Starmer scrambled a day ahead of schedule to reshuffle his shadow cabinet.
On Friday morning, after Labor’s worst results emerged, few in the party hinted that Starmer’s leadership was being challenged. It was Sunday, along with his verdict.