IT HAS been decided Liz Truss will be the new leader of the Conservative Party, replacing Boris Johnson as leader and Prime Minister.

For Scotland, this means yet another Prime Minister that does not have the nation’s best interests or needs at heart. Truss has made explicitly clear that she will not allow another independence referendum, denying the people of Scotland a say in their own future.

Scotland has not voted Conservative since 1955. In contrast, the SNP hold a majority of votes from the Scottish electorate in both Holyrood and Westminster. I should not have to state the obvious that this shows a clear appetite for independence and to continue to block any chance of Scottish people having a say in their future is a denial of democracy overall.

However, according to the Sunday Times, Liz Truss is contemplating legislation under a Referendum Act that will require more than a 50 per cent majority of the Scottish electorate to vote ‘yes’ for independence rather than 50 per cent people who turn out to vote.

This is a desperate attempt to quell the support for Scottish independence and move the goalposts to prevent Scotland becoming an independent nation. Truss and the Tories must realise that to continue to deny the democratic decision of the people of Scotland to hold a referendum will only further increase the support for Scottish independence.

Scotland is held captive in a Union it no longer wants to be a part of. Scotland has a wealth of resources to operate as an independent nation and an energy-rich nation like Scotland should not have to face severe inflation on fuel costs or the general cost of living. Yet Scotland has no power or say over these resources that are all under Westminster control.

The leadership contest is now over. The Tories have spent the summer sitting on their hands with their heads wrapped up in the contest. Truss must now get on with the job to help the millions of households and businesses facing real hardship this winter due to the cost-of-living crisis.