Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross wants the Prime Minister to tell Unionists to snub the “wildcat” poll so they can present it as an SNP vanity exercise. The news emerged as a shocking survey found that a majority of Scots no longer back independence as Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP continues to be engulfed in the Alex Salmond scandal.
Legally, a second Scottish independence referendum can only be held if it is backed by the UK Government.
Mr Johnson, along with other senior Tories, have already ruled it out on the grounds that the 2014 vote was a once in a generation event.
However, there are concerns the SNP could go ahead with an unofficial “wildcat” referendum if it wins control of the Scottish Parliament at May’s elections.
If this happens, senior Conservatives led by Mr Ross want Mr Johnson to order supporters of the Union to boycott the poll.
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The new approach would come just as the Government turns on the spending taps by tipping hundreds of millions of pounds directly into the pockets of Scottish communities, bypassing the government in Edinburgh.
“We want people in Scotland to see where the butter comes from,” one Cabinet minister told the Sunday Telegraph.
The plans could be discussed at a new weekly Union strategy meeting chaired by Mr Johnson and attended by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, Welsh Secretary Simon Hart and Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis this week.
The idea to boycott a second “wildcat” referendum is yet to be formally discussed by Mr Jack, Mr Gove or Mr Johhnson.
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However, one Cabinet minister said: “If they [the SNP] held one of their own, we just would not engage. There is no way they would get to 50 percent of the electorate.”
A second referendum could cost nearly £20million, according to estimates.
The 2014 Scottish referendum cost taxpayers £15.8million-or £18.1million in today’s money, allowing for inflation.
Mr Ross, who is due to hold talks about the strategy to keep the Union together with the PM this week, said: “Every unionist in the country right across the UK should boycott this divisive tactic of the nationalists.”
Separately, the UK Government is due to start funnelling cash directly to councils and local bodies to pay for community halls and other projects to show the physical benefit of the Union to locals after April.
The cash will be spent on community centres, local parks, shared spaces projects and other schemes “that make an obvious impact on regenerating a local community”, a source said.
They will be in many cases branded with the union flag to stress how the Government in London has paid for them.
Money will initially be made available from the Community Renewal Fund-to be replaced in 2022/23 by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund-and the Levelling Up Fund, which was expanded last week to include Scotland.
Previously the UK Government handed the cash to the devolved government in Scotland which then spent the money itself and was allowed to claim credit.
Mr Jack – who is behind the plan- told The Telegraph: “Scotland has two governments, and it is absolutely right that the UK Government invests directly in Scotland.
“We will be working with local authorities, who know their communities well. People in Scotland can expect significant direct UK Government investment in their communities in the coming months and years.”
