John Major: Conservatives would be better off without Scotland Sir John, who was Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997, continued: "It will be a no vote in Scotland [next year] and I think it will be very bad news for Scotland but very bad news for the United Kingdom if Scotland were to leave. You can't suddenly have large bits of your country falling off without finding yourself diminished in every international forum that exists - whether it is Europe, or the United Nations or whatever it is. If Scotland went, the UK would be diminished. Heaven alone knows what we will do for an army without Scotland, that would be a big loss. And also there is a huge amount of Scottish talent. The news came after Lord Forsyth, the former Tory Scottish secretary who served in Sir John's administration, told how some Tories believe Scotland could make all the difference in the next election. He warned that Conservative MPs from the south of England secretly want Scotland to vote for independence to give their party a permanent majority at Westminster. But Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, said they were "foolish" and expressed frustration at colleagues who want to break up the Union for electoral gain. With Labour holding 41 seats north of the Border compared to the Tories" one, he said it was wrong to assume it would mean their party would have a permanent majority at Westminster. Lord Forsyth said: "There are number of foolish people in the Conservative Party in the south who are keen on independence or "Devo max" (devolution of all tax powers). Labour thought by creating devolution they would have permanent power in Scotland. I don't think political parties can establish support by trying to gerrymander the constitution - the voters are smarter than that.