Downing Street replaces head of 'Union unit' with Vote Leave veteran
- Published
Luke Graham is a former Conservative MP for Ochil and South Perthshire
The head of a Downing Street unit aimed at keeping the UK together has been replaced by a veteran of the Vote Leave campaign.
The Union unit will now be led by Oliver Lewis after the exit of former Scottish Conservative MP Luke Graham.
It comes a week after the PM's controversial trip to Scotland.
There has been mounting concern in the UK government over polls suggesting support for independence has risen over the past year.
Mr Graham's departure was confirmed just two days after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's press secretary, Allegra Stratton, described him as a "very valued member of staff".
It is understood that some inside Downing Street did not believe Mr Graham had the ear of the prime minister and were concerned about his performance in the role.
The prime minister's official spokesman said on Thursday that Mr Graham has "left his No 10 position".
He said the union was an "incredibly important focus of the prime minister and the No 10 Union unit will continue to support him on that."
The spokesman added: "As the prime minister has said himself, he thinks all parts of the union are stronger together and he will be and continue to be the voice of the majority of the Scottish people who voted to keep the UK together.
"He will always stand against those trying to separate the UK which is why it remains an important focus."
The Podlitical team lift the lid on the reasons behind Luke Graham being replaced as head of the Union unit - and discuss the growing tensions within the SNP that led to Joanna Cherry being dropped from the party's front bench at Westminster.
You can listen to the full episode here, or wherever you get your podcasts.
The appointment of a key figure from the Brexit campaign to replace Mr Graham will raise eyebrows in some quarters given Scottish voters backed remaining in the EU by a wide margin.
Mr Lewis, who was research director of the Vote Leave campaign and later joined the UK government as an adviser on Brexit policy, has no direct experience of Scottish politics.
He is seen as being close to Dominic Cummings, the prime minister's former top advisor, and was a senior member of the UK's team during the Brexit negotiations with the EU.
The prime minister visited the Valneva vaccine factory in Livingston during his recent visit to Scotland
The SNP's deputy Westminster leader, Kirsten Oswald, said: "The Vote Leave takeover of Boris Johnson's taxpayer-funded anti-independence campaign has spectacularly backfired - and will drive up support for independence even further.
"By installing Dominic Cummings' Brexit apprentice as head of the so-called 'Union unit', the Prime Minister is demonstrating, yet again, that he is completely clueless about Scotland."
The prime minister visited Scotland last Thursday to press the case for Scotland remaining in the UK and to thank staff who were involved in the fight against Covid.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon questioned whether the trip was genuinely necessary while strict travel restrictions were in force.
And it subsequently emerged that a vaccine factory in Livingston which was toured by the prime minister had recorded a number of Covid cases in January.