By our Political correspondent Nat Hunter

US Republican presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney, has accepted the post of spokesperson for the campaign against Scottish Independence, according to a senior spokesperson from “Better Together”.

The news follows the ending of Romney's election prospects as a video of him speaking to potential campaign funders was released onto the internet.

On the video, Romney can be heard to say: “There are 47 percent who are with him [president Obama], who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it.”

Romney then goes on to explain that a Romney-led government would not feel they have this responsibility and that these people “should take personal responsibility for their lives”.

However, his remarks on removing welfare to pay for tax cuts for the rich have struck a chord with senior Westminster politicians from all three main parties, who quickly took advantage of his error and made him the offer to lead their pro-union campaign.

Iain Duncan-smith, speaking on a trip to Carlisle to announce the “special basket of cuts” he is planning for the Scottish welfare budget, said Mtitt Romney was “Ideal for the job”, adding “he is the only senior Western political figure who is prepared to cut welfare further and deeper than this coalition. And all to reduce taxes for the wealthy so they can spend their way out of recession. That's a man I want on our side!

“Now, I'm as Scotch as the next man, but these SNP chappies have had it their own way for much too long. This independence malarkey was amusing at first, but they just keep banging on about it, as if we would ever allow it to happen,” Duncan-Smith continued.

Wullie Rennie MSP, one-time spokesperson for the now defunct Scottish Liberal Democrats said: “I'm no great fan of Mitt Romney or his politics, but hey – what can you do, Eh? That's politicians for you!”

It is expected that Romney will take up his post in January 2013, following his now certain defeat in the US Presidential elections. He will be based in the Cabinet office in Westminster, and answerable to The Chancellor, Gideon Osbourne VIII.

Romney told NBC News, yesterday: “I won't be visiting the actual Scotland during my time with 'Better Together'. I will be living at the London Headquarters on the G&T Party in Mayfair.”

He added, “As you know, to get to Scotland, you need to take a plane to Iceland, followed by a 2 day ferry ride and a trek into the mountains on a red deer. I won't be bothering with all that.”

Mr Romney's acceptance of the highly positive 'No to independence' post has been warmly welcomed by MPs of all parties except the SNP and Plaid Cwmru.

Ian Davidson, Chairman of the Scottish Affairs committee on the severing of all ties between Scotland and the UK, said: “Romney says out loud what the rest of us are just thinking – and you have to respect him for that. He's the very man to gie those Scot Natz a proper doing, so he is.”

Tristan Chumley-Lumley, MP for St. Mary Meade and one of the Conservative members of Mr Davidson's committee agreed: “We can't let the mad Scotsman get away with all this separateness, can we now? Romney will sort him out, and give Muzz Davidson and her Tartan Tories a boost at the same time.”

However, on hearing the news of the new appointment, SNP spokesman Angus Robertson MP said: “Mitt Romney? Du träumst wohl! Das hätte ich mir nicht träumen lassen!”, adding “Well, well, that should be interesting”.

Notorious independence agitator, Martin Keatings told BBC Scotlandshire: “If Mitt Romney is the best the 'Bitter Together' crowd can come up with, then I can hang up my copy of Paint Shop Pro and have a decent rest for the next couple of years.”

Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont was unavailable for comment.

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