London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Boris Johnson denies he wants to undermine Scottish devolution

Boris Johnson denies he wants to undermine Scottish devolution

Boris Johnson has insisted he does not oppose devolution, after reportedly saying it had been a "disaster" in Scotland.

Addressing Scottish Conservatives, the prime minister said he only "criticised the performance of devolution" under the Scottish National Party.

"I don't want to oppose devolution as a concept in itself," he said.

The SNP said these were "weasel words" to deflect from his earlier "blunder".

In a speech by video link to the party's conference, Mr Johnson said reports he had told Tory MPs devolution was a "disaster" and "Tony Blair's biggest mistake" had not reflected his words "entirely accurately".

"The way SNP have handled devolution in Scotland has been a disaster," he said, criticising the party's performance on education along with people's satisfaction with public services and describing it as an "abysmal record".

He cited his experience as mayor of London as an example of his support for devolution, saying it could help deliver green transport policies or in tackling crime.

"Devolution should be used not by politicians as a wall to sequester, to break away, an area of the UK from the rest," Mr Johnson said.

"It should be used as a step to pass power to local communities and businesses to make their lives better. It's that kind of localism which I believe in and want to take further."

'The PM is trying to repair some of the damage'


Boris Johnson is said to have told a group of Tory MPs on Monday that devolution had been a disaster in Scotland. No 10 didn't deny those were his words.

They went down badly with Mr Johnson's colleagues in Scotland - to put it lightly.

Mr Johnson is now trying to repair some of the damage by saying he has no problem with devolution, just the SNP.

The problem for Mr Johnson is that the SNP and Labour have already made his comments on devolution a key message ahead of the Holyrood elections in May. Those elections could be crucial in deciding whether there is going to be another independence referendum.

He said the coronavirus crisis showed how important it was for the nations of the UK to work together, adding that there was no time for "division and distraction" and the "focus on separation has got to stop".

Thanking First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for her co-operation, he said Scotland had benefited from being part of "one of the world's leading scientific superpowers" during the pandemic, with vaccine stocks, testing and other technologies.

The jobs of more than 900,000 Scottish workers were protected by the furlough scheme and 80,000 businesses were given government grants or loans, the prime minister said.

"Covid-19 doesn't care about constitutional arrangements," Mr Johnson added. "We all need to work together to protect health and jobs of the people of Scotland."

What is devolution?


Devolution is the name for the way powers once held by the government in Westminster have been passed to elected bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Devolved powers include health, housing, fire services, some areas of transport and education. However, Scotland has always had its own education system and a separate legal system.

The UK government, based in London, has kept many powers, such as defence, foreign policy and most forms of tax.

Public votes about devolution were held in 1997 in Scotland and Wales, and in both parts of Ireland in 1998, as part of the Good Friday Agreement. It led to the creation of the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Some parts of England have directly-elected mayors, who also have devolved powers. The mayor of London, for example, is responsible for transport and policing in the capital.

An SNP spokesman said the prime minister was just offering "more weasel words of deflection from his blunder in revealing he thinks devolution has been a disaster".

Elections for the Scottish Parliament take place in May. The SNP is currently the largest party with 61 MSPs and the Conservative Party is the second largest with 31 - eight seats ahead of Labour.

Ms Sturgeon's SNP says a second referendum on independence - following Scotland's vote against it in 2014 - should be held if her party wins. But Mr Johnson has ruled this out.


Boris Johnson says he does not oppose devolution


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×