Rishi Sunak is already showing signs of better relationships with devolved nations - Daxa Patel

One issue which is not much talked about is the state of the union, the four nations that make us proud to be part of Great Britain.

The new PM, Rishi Sunak appears to have brought some stability though not without causing some justifiable disquiet with regards to the appointment of some questionable characters in ministerial positions.

That said, he appears to have made a good start by having a meeting with the leaders of the devolved governments.

Mr Sunak took the initiative to meet the first ministers of Wales and Scotland, and by taking what seems a small but obvious step, he has done far more than Liz Truss did in her short, disastrous tenure as Prime Minister.

There are no doubt fundamental differences of opinion between what each nationalist side wants but what is at stake is the state of our union, and possibility of a breakup, which for me is not desirable or indeed necessary.

I am aware there are strong views on all sides but despite the differences it is going to be wise to strike a cordial relationship, if nothing else, to be able to get around the table to talk about the common challenges all nations face.

Nicola Sturgeon would love to get a referendum because that is one of the key promises of her re-election pledge, a promise to free Scotland so it can ‘thrive ‘on its own steam and join the European union. However, that seems a short-term agenda.

So, what are the arguments of keeping the four nations as one?

The UK's reputation will take a knock if it does not do all that it can within its power to manage expectations. This is a moot point though.

There are emotional, historical and spiritual ties between the four nations.

A border between the nations will treat friends and families as foreigners with the need for passports, now that is a horrible thought. Scotland for instance, gets more per head in public services spending than England. We have the Brexit ramifications to contend with.

Do we really need more uncertainty to contend with?

No, not while we have a black hole in our finances whereby there is a guaranteed certainty that we are leaving a massive debt for the next two generations. That is a horrible legacy.

An already delicate constitutional landscape does not need yet another problem. Ruth Davidson described the SNP’s agenda for Scottish independence akin to “amputating your foot because you have stubbed your toe”.

In addition to all this, there is the issue with Northern Ireland courtesy of Boris Johnson’s withdrawal agreement which means Northern Ireland (NI) will effectively stay in the EU’s single market for goods but, post-Brexit, EU customs procedure will still apply on goods coming into NI from Great Britain.

The nationalists on all fronts will have their genuine reasons to want to break free but surely this is a time for coming together to limit the damage be it on the economic front or the environmental front.

All four nations face the same dire challenges which affect lower and middle-class families, surely that is one of the many reasons why we are better off working in collaboration than aiming for a divorce to have separate households.

The first steps taken by Rishi Sunak to have a cordial meeting despite the differences and strong views, is a positive one. A step which demonstrates respect, humility and leadership.

There is something else here, despite my analytical mind mainly due to my legal training and vocation, I also feel there was a reason why our late Queen spent her final days in Balmoral.

She had close ties to Scotland, and her final journey cemented the common heartfelt connection between the nations.

The many thousands of people who came to pay their respect in Scotland demonstrated something much deeper than what politicians would want us to feel. It is the love of one big family.

Now I am not English, but I am British by birth and I feel as a brown skinned person I can sometimes get away with being too frank.

Even saying that might not be politically correct but it needs to be said, the state of our four nations is too important an issue to put on the back burner, and it is in everyone’s interest to make the union work, to do so otherwise will cause even more problems for our next generations to come.

It seems to me we are in desperate need to pass on a legacy to our next generation that we can be proud of, that’s it really.

Daxa Manhar Patel is a solicitor, author and executive coach.