A PEER who called for devolution to “evolve back” and insisted Scottish independence would be “morally wrong” is set for a senior constitutional role in Liz Truss’s government.
Lord David Frost is being tipped to head up the Cabinet Office under Truss who is the frontrunner in the Tory leadership race.
Earlier this month, the SNP warned Truss she must rule out the “anti-devolution” peer from her government if she becomes prime minister.
Senior Scottish Tories have already expressed concerns that the move could undermine the Union, as the Cabinet Office is currently responsible for political and constitutional reform.
One leading Scottish Tory told The Times Lord Frost’s more “macho unionism” could “drive voters into the hands of the nationalists at a moment when they are becalmed".
They added: “The whole Union strategy – and it has boxed in the SNP – has been to stop the soft centre drifting towards independence. This sort of rhetoric endangers that.”
In an article in The Daily Telegraph earlier this month, Frost said devolved governments were “subordinate” to Westminster and the UK Government needed to change how it discussed them.
He said a referendum should “simply be impossible” by imposing legislation that would require three-quarters of MSPs to be pro-independence over a decade.
Frost wrote that “we have all drifted into speaking as if this country were a confederation made up of four ‘nations’ that have chosen to work together (but could equally choose differently)”.
He went onto urge those living in England “not to give in to the ‘let them go’ argument” as this would result in a “massive national humiliation”.
The SNP’s deputy Westminster leader Kirsten Oswald has previously said Frost has shown “nothing but disdain for Scotland” and appointing him would signal the Tories were “gearing up to dismantle devolution lock, stock and barrel”.
She added: “Liz Truss must immediately distance herself from these suggestions and rule out categorically that David Frost would serve in any government position she might have the influence in deciding.”
