Union in peril as PM ‘speaks for England alone’, former civil servant warns

Sir Philip Rycroft says PM's muscular brand of unionism' has deepened divisions between four nations

The pandemic has seeded the idea of a prime minister who speaks for England alone" as relations between the four nations of the UK deteriorate amid deep-rooted complacency", a senior former civil servant has warned.

There is widespread ignorance towards the union, meaning ministers can be kept in the dark about major reforms with little consideration for the four nations, Sir Philip Rycroft, the permanent secretary to the Brexit department until 2019, says in a report.