When Boris Johnson became Prime Minister back in July 2019, he created an additional role for himself.

Minister for the Union, too, as he put it, emphasised his commitment to strengthening the bond

between the countries of the United Kingdom.

Two years on, the public debate about the unravelling of the UK is rarely out of the headlines

and nowhere more so than in Scotland and here in Northern Ireland.

So on this week's red lines, we're discussing

why it is that the ties that bind the UK together

are under so much pressure

and how likely deep-seated constitutional change is

for Edinburgh and Belfast in the years ahead.

Alan, why do we keep coming back to this issue

in our public conversation time and again?

Well, certainly because in Scotland,

pro-independence parties keep getting elected.

They've been running the devolved administration now

for 14 years, and they got elected most recently

with a majority for independence

in the Scottish Parliament in May.

And so it won't go away.

And, you know, I'm struck by the gap in understanding between the public discourse here compared to Whitehall and Westminster.

And I include my own colleagues in BBC News.

This hasn't suddenly come out of anywhere.

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