SNP

Nicola Sturgeon could seek a second referendum on Scottish independence by Christmas, an SNP minister has signalled. Scots could soon be heading to the polls to decide whether their nation should formally break free from Westminster, the SNP’s constitution minister has suggested. Michael Russell, an architect of the SNP’s road map to independence, said the vote could be held […]

SNP MP Joanna Cherry said she had been “sacked” from her party’s front bench team at Westminster, as a reshuffled was announced. Cherry had been the SNP justice and home affairs spokeswoman at Westminster – but was also seen by many as being close to former leader Alex Salmond, as well as having come in […]

The UK government shut down the chance of continuing the Erasmus programme because it was “too European”, a Scottish minister has claimed. The education exchange programme was one of the casualties of the Brexit process, but Scotland and Wales are continuing to push for access to it. The UK government has announced a replacement scheme, […]

An SNP MP is proposing a bill to parliament which he hopes would end the “growing culture of secrecy and cronyism at the heart of government”. Owen Thompson says that the Ministerial Interests (Emergency Powers) Bill would “force government ministers to answer questions about any personal, political or financial connections they may have to a […]

The UK government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has been “defined by a lack of leadership, last-minute U-turns, mixed messaging and devastating policies”, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has claimed. He said: “Last night the PM claimed we truly did everything we could to avoid the deaths of 100,000 people across the UK from Covid-19, […]

An SNP MP has asked Priti Patel why she has not quit as home secretary following the revelation she failed to close the UK’s borders back in March. The confrontation occurred during a statement from the home secretary in the Commons. Defending the government’s border strategy, Patel told MPs: “From January 2020 the government has had […]

An SNP minister has warned Boris Johnson could be breaking Scotland’s coronavirus rules by visiting the country this week. Christina McKelvie, the minister for older people and equalities, doubted whether Johnson’s trip would count as “essential work”. The prime minister is reportedly planning a visit to Scotland to make an impassioned plea for Scots to reject […]

The SNP has criticised health secretary Matt Hancock for using the Downing Street coronavirus press conference to make “overtly political statements” about the Union. Amid signs of rising support for Scottish independence, Hancock stressed the importance of collaboration between the nations in the fight against Covid-19 during the health briefing. He told the press conference […]

One reader takes exception to John Bercow’s column on Donald Trump. I must take issue with one statement in the otherwise excellent article by John Bercow on ex-president Trump. Mr Bercow credits the SNP (among others) with recognising Trump as a malign force and calling him out for his bigotry from day one. Fake news, […]

Polling expert PETER KELLNER on how the Scottish elections could supercharge the SNP’s campaign for independence. If Boris Johnson thinks that life will get easier in the spring, he should think again. Even if the current lockdown and vaccine programme both succeed, a fresh crisis is almost certain to erupt in its wake, to last […]

The SNP’s Westminster leader has mocked Boris Johnson for failing to deliver the “sea of opportunity” he promised after Brexit. Ian Blackford raised the case of a constituent, who is a producer and exporter of shellfish, experiencing his “worst nightmare” since the UK’s departure from the EU. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, the Scottish politician […]

Scotland would not have received a single dose of the coronavirus vaccine if Nicola Sturgeon had been in charge of distributing it, Boris Johnson has claimed. Johnson told Tory MPs that Scots would have missed out on doses of the new jab had Sturgeon’s party been responsible for its distribution, the Guardian understands. Johnson apparently made the remark during […]

Former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier has been arrested and charged with culpable and reckless conduct over her journey between Scotland and Westminster while waiting for results of a coronavirus test. Ferrier had the SNP whip removed for making a trip from Glasgow to the House of Commons and then a return journey after being informed […]

Brexiteers Michael Gove and Boris Johnson have been accused of laughing about the end of the UK’s participation in the Erasmus scheme, as MPs debate the Brexit deal in the House of Commons. SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford told MPs: “He will remember standing in this House promising we will be staying in the Erasmus […]

The SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford has claimed proponents of Brexit were guilty of an “enormous con job” to fishermen after analysis of the deal showed stocks for Scotland will fall. Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Blackford said: “We’ve been told by the Tories over the course of the last four and […]

An MP who picked up the parliamentary mace in a Brexit protest has been branded “silly” by Jacob Rees-Mogg.  The Commons leader described the actions of the SNP’s Drew Hendry as “silly” and “childish”. Hendry, the party’s business spokesman, was suspended from the Commons after protesting against the UK Internal Market Bill. As proceedings on the Bill […]

An SNP MP has been suspended from a House of Commons sitting after he protested against the approval of controversial Brexit legislation. The party’s business spokesman Drew Hendry shouted “this is an outrage” as proceedings on the UK Internal Market Bill came to a conclusion following a lengthy parliamentary battle in recent weeks. Deputy speaker […]

The SNP’s Ian Blackford has demanded an economic analysis of Boris Johnson’s Brexit plans. The party’s Westminster leader a “detailed economic assessment of the cost to the UK of his extreme Tory Brexit plans” before MPs are asked to vote on any possible deal. The Scottish politician claimed at Prime Minister’s Questions that the Tory […]

The SNP has indicated that it will vote down Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal – despite saying a deal would be better than the “complete disruption” of a no-deal Brexit. Appearing on Good Morning Scotland, the party’s Brexit secretary said it could not back something that is “the wrong thing for Scotland”. He explained: “There will be […]

Tariffs imposed on goods after a no-deal Brexit are “not necessarily the end of the world”, a minister has said. David Duguid told the BBC that there would still be access to the EU market after Brexit in the event of no agreement being reached. His comments came on the same day as decisive talks […]

Boris Johnson has hinted Scotland could be offered a second independence referendum in the ‘future’ but warned that citizens would end up voting to stay in the union. The prime minister said the SNP’s “sheer incoherence” would see union supporters win a future referendum. Johnson’s response came after Glasgow MP David Linden had asked why polls have […]

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has challenged Boris Johnson to explain why Scotland is “being shafted” by not having a Brexit arrangement in place similar to Northern Ireland. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, he said: “Yesterday, by this government’s own admission, it was confirmed that Northern Ireland is getting the best of both worlds – […]

Number 10 has been left angered after the SNP’s constitution and Brexit secretary branded Boris Johnson and his Tories as ‘extremists’. Michael Russell hit out at the Westminster government for their “damaging and harmful” Brexit ideology. Speaking at Holyrood, he told MSPs: “It is utterly incredible that some 1,629 days since the European Union referendum, […]

SNP MP Drew Hendry has angered Tory MPs in a speech to the House of Commons which claimed the governing party has a “casual relationship with the truth”. The Scottish politician used his speech during a debate on the Internal Market Bill to brand the lesiglation “disastrous, petty, grubby, law-breaking, power-grabbing Tory Bill”, prompting calls for him to […]

It is May 2021. The morning after the Scottish parliament election. And in line with the most recent polling, the SNP has won a landslide, taking 56% of the constituency vote and 47% of the regional vote. The result means a significant Holyrood majority for the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon declares it a clear mandate for […]

Scotland should aim for full EU membership if it becomes independent, the country’s constitution secretary has said. Mike Russell said he would not like a “halfway house” of European Economic Area (EEA) membership. The EEA consists of members of the EU along with Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway, through the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) which […]

The SNP’s immensely controversial hate crime legislation is highlighting divisions within the Scottish government, says MAURICE SMITH. Pity Humza Yousaf. The Scottish justice minister probably thought his latest legislation would go down well with voters in self-styled ‘progressive’ Scotland, outlawing purveyors of racial and religious hatred. Instead, the minister finds himself at the centre of a free […]

Nicola Sturgeon has vowed to stop “Boris Johnson and his band of Brexiteers” dictating Scotland’s future. The SNP leader told Good Morning Britain (GMB) viewers that Scotland would not put up with having “our future dictated to us” by Johnson and his closest allies. Speaking on the state of Brexit trade talks, Sturgeon said: “I want free […]

Jacob Rees-Mogg has compared the awarding of billions of pounds worth of Covid-19 contracts without proper process to “calling a plumber out at 2am”. Rees-Mogg attempted to dismiss calls for a debate on a National Audit Office report into government spending on coronavirus contracts. A report published by the independent parliamentary body found up to £10 […]

Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has been praised for cutting Boris Johnson’s long waffling answer off mid-sentence. Johnson was embarking on a rant about the Scottish National Party at Prime Minister’s Questions after Iain Blackford claimed that the Tory leader’s comments about devolution were “not just flippant remarks”. He said: “His attack on devolution wasn’t just a slip of the […]

An SNP politician has schooled Britain’s trade envoy about the UK’s prospect of becoming prosperous after Brexit. Angus Brendan MacNeil, who chairs the Commons committee on trade that met on Wednesday, said the UK faced years of “poverty” after it permanently leaves the EU on January 1. Probing Tony Abbott, Britain’s newly-appointed trade envoy, on his opinions of Brexit, the newly-minted diplomat […]

Scottish nationalists are acting like “little Englanders” over Boris Johnson’s leadership, a radio caller has claimed. Raymond from Falkirk made the claim as he called James O’Brien’s radio show to respond to remarks Johnson made about devolution being a “disaster north of the border”. The caller feared Scotland falling into a similar trap to Brexit, […]