Boris Johnson has earned Scotland's scorn - we must decide what's next

Never Boris. Not now.

On BBC Breakfast yesterday morning the presenter stumbled over the name of our new Prime Minister.

“Bo-Johnson,” she said, starting off with the cuddly, haphazard, what-larks moniker we have grown used to casually jotting off our tongues before correcting herself to the appropriate name.

A habit has developed of being far too chummy with our elected members.

Social media is partly to blame and in Scotland we’re particularly bad for it.

Kezia, Ruth, Nicola.

Being on first-name terms with the present and former leaders of Scotland’s political parties was partly because they were women, and so people felt less inclined to use the formal language saved for the big boys.

Social media had a great deal to do with it, too.

Our political leaders are so open and accessible online they become familiar faces, part of day to day life, it feels natural to call them by their first names only.

With Boris Johnson we did it because of a distinct lack of respect.

Boris. Buffoon Boris. BoJo the Clown.

Now, entirely as predicted, BoJo is in charge and determined to hurtle us towards a catastrophic no-deal Brexit.

It’s time to put our serious faces on and start using the grown up names.

He’s not an amusingly bumbling pratfall of a politician now: he’s in charge.

And how is he using his new-found power to unite the country?

Well, here he comes to Scotland.

We are a United Kingdom currently motivated by potential divisions. Will Ireland be united by Brexit? Will Brexit cause Scotland to split from the rest of the UK?

Will the UK really split from Europe?

It is vital now to have clear and unifying leadership so the Prime Minister’s visit to Scotland was vital.

First stop? Faslane Naval Base.

Is Mr Johnson’s advisor an SNP plant? Because the man can’t seem to do a thing that gives the impression he gives a damn about Scotland.

His first move was to make Ruth Davidson – Conservative and Unionist Party leader in Scotland – appear as though she has no clout at all by sacking the obsequious David Mundell.

Ms Davidson has been consistent, a plus at least, in her distrust for Mr Johnson. She didn’t back him and she didn’t back down on that position.

Removing Mr Mundell, also not a Johnson supporter, was swift retribution. Replacing the Scotland Secretary – despite his attempt to butter up Mr Johnson with a cringe-worthy congratulatory tweet –with Alister Jack seemed a comprehensive slight to Davidson, Mundell – and Scotland.

Mr Jack is vocally pro-Brexit, a Scotland Secretary happy to back a move that will be fundamentally damaging to Scotland. It couldn’t really be any other way. Mr Johnson is hardly going to choose any cabinet member who does not take a hard line on Brexit, But it still sticks in the craw.

His generous list of intentions as PM included devolved issues (police, education, health) and issues at odds with the current Scottish ethos, that is, lowering taxes for the well-off.

Back to the Prime Minister’s first visit to Scotland and back to his choice to tour Faslane.

Let us all be grateful that the man managed to stand near a panel of buttons without impulsively pressing any of them.

If there’s anyone who can’t be trusted not to hit “self-destruct”, it's Johnson.

Faslane is one of the main – if you’ll pardon the analogy – independence battlegrounds. Bairns not bombs. Surely the Prime Minister has done his homework on how those citizens of a separatist nature feel about the nuclear base.

Tone deaf doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Then, Mr Johnson would have to have been deaf not to register the jeers and boos outside Bute House when he met yesterday afternoon with a glum-looking Nicola Sturgeon.

Ms Sturgeon has looked increasing dejected with every British Prime Minister welcomed to her home and yesterday looked positively crestfallen.

The First Minister must be conflicted about her Westminster counterpart. On one hand, he is a disaster for the UK. On the other hand, he is a gift for the SNP: taking Scotland out of Europe when Scotland did not vote to go.

It’s not enough to jeer at the gates of Bute House. It’s time to talk about what’s next for Scotland. One thing is clear: Mr Johnson does not care.