Comment
Only a civil servant could think the way to defeat the SNP is to surrender to them on every front
Saying no to Scottish nationalists is anathema to many of the mandarins in Whitehall, but the PM needs to hold firm
20 April 2021 • 1:49pm
Former civil servants, like former members of parliament, can afford to be refreshingly outspoken once they’ve turned their backs on Whitehall. No longer constrained by protocols and procedures or by the strict rules demanding neutrality, they can wax lyrical about the failings of their former political masters.
But it says something profound about the mentality of the civil service when it comes to devolution that one former permanent secretary has used his newfound freedom to criticise Boris Johnson’s apparent drift towards “assertive Unionism”.
Keir Starmer branded out of touch after 60% of UK Labour members back indyref2
thenational.scot - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thenational.scot Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
SNP pile pressure on Anas Sarwar to back indyref2 ahead of leaders debate
thenational.scot - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thenational.scot Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.