Scots’ dislike of Boris Johnson should not blind them to the Union’s merits The PM’s unpopularity in Scotland means he cannot rely on his usual political tactics to save the Union 3 August 2021 • 9:30pm Perhaps an Englishman bearing the name of Johnson will always struggle to find a warm welcome in Scotland, given the notoriously acerbic sentiments of the great doctor. On a visit to the Highlands in 1776 he declared that “the noblest prospect which a Scotchman ever sees is the high road that leads him to England”. That was one of his more charitable observations. His Prime Ministerial namesake heads for Scotland today with a popularity rating not much higher north of the border than that enjoyed by the celebrated 18th-century lexicographer. The SNP would have their fellow Scots believe that Boris Johnson is the latest in a long line of English rulers intent on belittling an ancient nation and denying its right to self-determination.