FIRED: TORIES AXE CHIEF ADVISER OF SO-CALLED UNION UNIT

Boris Johnson has fired the chief adviser of his so-called union unit

The news follows an angry bust-up at No 10 on their strategy to try and keep a hold of Scotland and prevent it from rejoining the EU.

Former Scottish Tory MP Luke Graham, who lost his seat at the last election, is understood to have been sacked from his role advising the prime minister, as Downing Street looks to “beef up” its so-called union unit ahead of parliamentary elections in May.

A “furious row” over strategy erupted last Friday — following Mr Johnson’s controversial visit to Scotland in a bid to build support for the union, according to a journalist working out of the Financial Times.

“It was fairly brutal,” admitted one government insider.

It is unclear whether Graham recommended the trip north of the border – condemned by health officials and the country's First Minister, who said it was unnecessary travel – but was ignored by Westminster politicians, the report added.

According to officials with knowledge of the dispute, Mr Graham was unhappy with both his role and their strategy for the union. “There was a lack of faith in letting him do what he needed to do. A lot of his efforts were frustrated by other people in the building,” one said.

But another Whitehall official had an altogether different opinion: “Luke had gradually pissed off more and more people. He didn’t endear himself to other spads [special advisers], ministers or civil servants. No one was sorry to see him go.”

The prime minister’s official spokesman confirmed Mr Graham has “left his No 10 position” on Thursday – only two days after press secretary Allegra Stratton said he was a “very valued member of staff”.

Downing Street officials made clear the adviser was replaced in the role, with sources telling Sky News he “hasn’t been particularly effective” or “made enough headway.”

Mr Graham, the former Conservative MP for Ochil and South Perthshire, missed out on being re-elected at the 2019 election despite the Tory’s landslide victory south of the border. Unfortunately for Graham, results didn't replicate in Scotland, where the Tories lost half their MP's to an SNP landslide, with the party winning 49 out of 59 seats.

It is expected that he will be replaced by Oliver Lewis, who will be leading what one of the officials said would be a “beefed-up union unit”

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Mr Lewis, known in Downing Street as “Sonic”, is said by colleagues to have wanted “a clean slate” and to build a new team. A Vote Leave veteran, he is seen as having strong campaigning credentials but he is not known for having any particular knowledge or expertise in Scottish politics. He threatened to quit himself over the departure of Dominic Cummings in November, but was persuaded not to by the prime minister, who pleaded with him to stay.

The latest independence poll, by Panelbase, showed a majority of Scots favour independence by a margin of 52 per cent to 48 per cent once undecideds are removed, one of more than twenty (20) successive opinion polls stretching back over a year to show majorities in favour of independence.

With the SNP widely expected to triumph at the parliamentary elections in May, leading political figures in Scotland are now discussing the possibility of a third option being on the ballot paper at any future independence referendum.

The country’s top trade unionist suggested any vote should include a “devolution max” option. STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said on Thursday: “Any such referendum need not be a binary choice between independence and the status quo”.

The union leader said a third option offering a “devo-max” choice would be a “welcome addition to the debate”.

Scottish Labour has been reluctant to show any support for another referendum, but Labour MSP Neil Findlay has backed the “devo max” third option if the vote is held, as is becoming clear it is expected to.

In a recent blog post, he said: “We have to expand the democratic choice the voters have to avoid forcing them into choosing between two unpalatable positions. Not to expand the options available is anti-democratic and wrong.”

Scots were promised devo max in 2014 if they voted to reject their independence. A promise that was broken and left many feeling bitter as a result, with one social media user opining: “So it seems the big plan is to dust down the promises made to us 7 years ago. It's nothing but cauld kale re-het. I voted No last time, but I won't be doing it again.”