TORY MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has admitted there is a risk to his party “stubbornly opposing” an independence referendum.
The Leader of the House of Commons also stated no-one has said “there will never ever be another referendum again”.
He made the remarks during a regular interview for the website Conservative Home, called The Moggcast. The comments come as the SNP say Tory moves to shore up support for the Union shows the party is “preparing for a referendum”.
In the podcast interview published last week, Rees-Mogg said the SNP was a “very serious force” and “one should always take one’s political opponents seriously”.
He was quizzed over how important it would be to prevent an SNP majority in the forthcoming Holyrood election, which would lead to “great pressure” on the UK Government.
READ MORE: SNP slam Jacob Rees-Mogg for plan to have Westminster MPs sit in Holyrood
Rees-Mogg said the polling on independence has slightly weakened, but he accepted it “has been strong”.
But he added: “Even whilst it has been strong, most people have said they don’t want a referendum now.
“And I think there is an element of recklessness in arguing for a referendum now in the midst of a pandemic with so many other things going on.
“And obviously there is a risk if a party stubbornly opposes a referendum year in, year out. But I think there is considerable view in Scotland at the moment this is not the right time for a referendum.”
Rees-Mogg was also asked about reports suggesting the Prime Minister’s “iron-clad commitment” not to grant another referendum might be weakening.
He said the UK Government’s view is that it “clearly would be reckless” to have another referendum in the midst of a pandemic and that one had been held “only in 2014”. He went on: “I don’t think anybody has ever said there will never ever be another referendum again.
“But what was agreed in 2014 was that it would be an extended period before there would be another one.”
The Tory MP was asked who in the UK Government is responsible for the day-to-day running of pro-UK policy following the collapse of the Union Unit, which saw the departure of two of its leaders in the space of two weeks.
Rees-Mogg said the Prime Minister was in charge and claimed what had happened was symbolic of the “seriousness” with which the Government views the Union.
“It has got gradually more and more senior and now it is with the Prime Minister and key Secretaries of State,” he added.
When asked if anyone would be taking up the role which the former Union Unit heads Luke Graham and Oliver Lewis had performed, Rees-Mogg seemed to suggest there would be no new appointment.
He said the replacement Cabinet Union Strategy Committee, which is chaired by Boris Johnson, has “serious support” and implements decisions made by the Prime Minister.
READ MORE: Tories ‘preparing for a Scottish independence referendum’ despite rhetoric
“So there is a process of implementing what is decided and it is being decided at the most senior level,” he added. “So it has been upgraded.”
Responding to the interview, Kirsten Oswald MP, the SNP’s Westminster deputy leader, said: “The upcoming election comes down to a choice – who should decide the country’s future. Should it be the people of Scotland or Boris Johnson?
“The reality is that the Tories’ Trump-like attempt to block democracy is unsustainable and they know it. That is why Boris Johnson, Rees-Mogg and their Tory colleagues are spending so much time scheming on how to counter support for independence.
“With both votes SNP at the election we can put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands – not Boris Johnson’s.”
Senior Tories are reportedly engaged in discussions over how to combat independence support, while the Cabinet Office is setting up a second headquarters in Glasgow in an effort to strengthen the Union.
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