CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak is in Scotland today for what has been called a “flying visit” by the SNP.

He is the fourth minister to travel to Scotland in recent weeks, after Boris Johnson instructed his Cabinet members to be more visible north of the Border following polling putting support for independence at 54%.

Throughout the coronavirus crisis, Sunak and his colleagues have argued the pandemic shows the strength of the Union – chiefly using the furlough scheme as an example of the support given to UK residents in recent months.

There have been rumours, however, that Sunak is not as passionate a Unionist as his fellow Cabinet members. In April he was forced to deny he told colleagues that “England should break away” from the UK.

READ MORE: Chancellor Rishi Sunak 'argued England should break away from UK'

After being in post for less than two months, Sunak denied he argued the UK did not “make financial sense” after the claim was made in a Financial Times article. In a Twitter post he said he is a “strong believer in our union of four nations”.

Comments Sunak made in 2017, amid speculation of Scottish Government plans for an independence referendum between autumn 2018 and spring 2019, have resurfaced – putting those "strong" beliefs into question.

Prior to becoming a minister, the Richmond MP rejected blocking a second Scottish independence referendum outright. He suggested pushing the vote until after the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

He said: “It seems hard to block a referendum but we should push the timing until after Brexit so the choice is clearer for people. A good deal will strengthen the case for the Union.”

The comment resurfaced as former Scottish secretary David Mundell said there should be no indyref2 even if pro-independence parties secure a large majority next year.

He told Times Radio: “My view is that whatever the results of next year Scottish Election parliament that would not automatically lead to another referendum”.