The New Kid on The Block, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has moved the agenda on from partygate, angry Nicola Sturgeon and her SNP Cult reject UK Government 'Levelling up' plans to tackle the decline of Scotland under SNP misrule, the SNP want levelling up money to go through them which UK Minister Michael Gove has rejected flat out, Scottish people will now see projects right across Scotland with a UK flag so they know that Westminster hasn't abandoned them and is firmly on their side

The relationship between the SNP and the UK Government is entirely broken, it isn't just been broken, it was never friendly to begin with. You could say looking at it, it is a hate based narrative which the Scottish Nationalists have generated to win voters. There are of course countless incidents of the SNP displaying their hatred in the House of Commons, they don't respect the institution, the people who work in it or any elected government at the dispatch box. In Boris Johnson, they have found someone who they especially dislike. They see Boris Johnson as a good way to secure their position in power with made up stories of Scotland being a constant victim. Scotland is not a victim of a UK Conservative Government, we get more than our fair share already in terms of head of population than England. We also get additional money from Westminster to improve services in Scotland, the reason we don't see it, is the SNP siphon money off for their pet projects. The effective of the siphoning off money is particularly noticeable in areas such as Glasgow. We have a First Minister who was elected to a Glasgow Constituency but we don't have a First Minister who stands up for Glasgow. Nicola Sturgeon has never stood up for Glasgow, she has never stood up for any area where she was elected. Her own constituency of Glasgow Southside which she doesn't live in, and never did, is a slum. To show my point of the hatred towards Boris Johnson, the Conservatives, and even the institution of the House of Commons, an incident happened just recently at PMQs, the weekly questioning of the Prime Minister. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmlJn35-xxg 

In the House of Commons, there are rules laid out which all MPs must follow, these rules are quite specific and they are there for the good order and running of parliament. These rules are the bedrock in which debate, but not abuse can flourish. SNP MP Ian Blackford, the Westminster Leader of the Nationalists doesn't care about the rules, or the institution. Blackford isn't doing anything new, his behaviour is just a more extreme version of what has passed before. It doesn't matter if you are the PM or a waitress at Westminster working in the parliamentary estate, there will always be some Nationalist who will abuse you. I suppose what makes the Nationalists even more angry is that the Conservatives keep pointing out their failings and their stupidity on a regular basis, so anytime that there is even a sniff at revenge, the SNP dive straight in with both feet. Their outrage is a mixture of faux outrage and just outrage. Does anyone really think the SNP MPs give a monkey's about the suffering of ordinary people? If they do, clearly they don't study enough on actual politics, policies or actual events caused by their actions. 

Partygate is over, it died a death remarkably quickly, in politics, momentum is important, especially if it relates to supposed or alleged scandal. I think when the 'party' to oust Boris got into full swing, the first weekend was the crucial period. The Sunday papers to me seem lacklustre, we had the resignation of  Christian Wakeford, a Conservative politician serving as Member of Parliament for Bury South since the 2019 general election who jumped ship to the Labour Party. In my mind, this was a turning point for Boris, at this point, I knew his job was safe. Of Christian Wakeford, I can only say this, he is one of the most stupidest people in British politics, as I pointed out ordinary members wouldn't welcome him, and guess what local members in Bury South don't want him, don't like him, and probably won't work for him come 2024. In politics it helps to understand the mindset of activists, there was no doubt in my mind that Christian Wakeford would be a pariah, instead of exercising loyalty to the man who gave him his chance to be elected, he betrayed him. 

Now, to the future, obviously the Conservative Government and Boris has moved on, as I predicted and as has turned out, the focus is now on 'levelling up'. Levelling up is a small offshoot of a wide plan called Global UK, a restructure of the country where instead of money coming via the EU, money comes from the UK government. This policy has two main effects, firstly, it helps to regenerate places in the UK which have been run down, and secondly in places like Scotland is shows that there is now a different revenue stream for people to access which is not controlled by the SNP. This is an important step, and something which has enraged the Nationalists who use government money as a weapon against people speaking out against them. The days of the Nationalist in Edinburgh being in full control of Scotland's purse strings is coming to an end. It is entirely no surprise that already levelling up plans have been rejected by Scottish Government before being formally announced. Whether the SNP in Edinburgh get onboard or not, plans by the UK Government to radically close the income and prosperity gap between the richest and poorest areas in the UK will go ahead. Instead of seeing projects with an EU Flag, we will see projects with a UK flag, this will no doubt enrage the SNP. How can more money for Scotland and its people be rejected as “unacceptable” by the Scottish Government? 

SNP Ministers flatly rejected the UK Government deciding how to spend money in Scotland. You see in part if, Nicola Sturgeon rejects the money, she will be shown as being nasty and petty because the money is for the poorest in society. I would expect strings attached on accountability so that the money isn't siphoned off. Nicola Sturgeon has crafted an image that she is the leader of Scotland, that isn't true, she is the leader of the SNP leading a Scottish Executive which delivers devolved services. The leader of Scotland is Boris Johnson, Sturgeon isn't Boris' equal, she is Boris' de facto employee, although she is in effect self employed. Nicola Sturgeon gets the bulk of money to run Scotland from Westminster, not only does the money come from Westminster, so does the rules which the entire Scottish operation is run. She has day to day control, but the real power lies in the Scotland Act, and lies in Westminster. Levelling up is a good thing for Scotland, but it is only the start of a process which has other strings to its bow, and in due time when the 400 pages of leveling up are worked through, you will see more Westminster influence coming to Scotland, something which many including myself have been calling for. Calling for UK influence to be more active in some cases for years!   

Glasgow city region is said to be one of three new so-called ‘Innovation Accelerator’ areas, and as such will receive a share of £100 million of UK Government funding. This extra money should be used to improve council services which under the SNP have been in decline for many years. The new money is to be used for encouragement of innovation and research and development work, and boost local opportunities. The proof of the pudding will be, who gets it, if it goes to well to do organisations like Universities etc and doesn't make its way down to small community grassroots who have suffered under the SNP, the levelling will only be partially successful. Levelling up must be about raising opportunities for the least well off in society. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has a unique opportunity to make levelling up the “defining mission” of his government in a manner which has never been achieved by any Prime Minister previously, he just has to grasp this moment with both hands. In levelling up, I personally think there is no value including the SNP in the plans were they exercise any positive control of the process of who gets money, this would be a mistake. We have already seen how the SNP reacted to the idea regarding the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. 

In a statement, a spokesperson said SNP ministers were not consulted “in any way” around the plans for Glasgow, they were also quick to say that bypassing Holyrood in deciding where money is spent as “unacceptable”. The SNP want sole control of money coming from Westminster, this is so they can manipulate Scottish society for their own ends. In a half hearted statement, they said: 

“We welcome all additional funding for Scotland but it is unacceptable for the UK Government to again be deciding how money should be spent in areas of devolved responsibility without any meaningful consultation or engagement, despite continued assurances that relations will be reset with devolved governments. Similarly, we have not been consulted in any way on plans for an innovation accelerator in Glasgow. It is the Scottish Government that should decide how this policy and funding is delivered in Scotland, in line with the devolved settlement. That position is supported by recent assessments from the House of Lords, the Scottish Affairs Committee and the Institute for Government on the need for the UK Government to engage the devolved governments in the design and delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and related levelling up activity.” 

It is my belief that although levelling up Minister Michael Gove should have the devolved regional administrations at the table for input, there should be no control passed to them at any stage of the process. The announcements in the white paper will be welcomed by the bulk of the House of Commons, after all, any additional money is seen as free money. You can expect people in the SNP to cause a stink about levelling up, and they will push for control of the money to go through Holyrood which is controlled by the SNP. The SNP use Holyrood and the Scottish Government as campaigning tools, for years I have said that the Scotland Office which the SNP want closed down should take a more active role in Scottish political life. I can't remember when I first mentioned the need for an enhanced Scotland Office, but it is necessary and long overdue. The Scottish Sec Alister Jack needs to be on Scottish TV more on a par with Nicola Sturgeon, the new money is great, but what is also needed is a huge ongoing PR campaign to let the people of Scotland that the UK Government is the new kid on the block raising new opportunities for their benefit.