Johnson says devolving powers to Scotland was 'a disaster'; sparks anger

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP leader, jumped on them, arguing that the Conservatives' public statements of support for devolution were duplicitous

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the devolution of powers to Scotland “a disaster”, a comment that played into the hands of Scottish nationalists pushing for an independence referendum that opinion polls suggest they could win.

The bonds holding the United Kingdom together have been severely strained over the past five years by Brexit and the government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, and 14 recent polls have shown a majority of Scots now support independence.

In a video call on Friday with northern English lawmakers from his Conservative Party, Johnson said that devolution, introduced by Tony Blair, had been the former prime