Issues - My policy positions

Statement - PMQs Walkout

Last night the UK Government ploughed ahead with legislation that takes responsibility of 24 devolved policy areas back from the Scottish Parliament, without debate and without Scottish MPs being able to speak.

This was also in spite of all parties in the Scottish Parliament – with the sole exception of the conservative party – refusing a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) for the UK Government to legislate on these devolved areas.

As we have had a mere 15 minutes of debate in which only the Conservative Government Minister could speak, Scotland’s MPs have not been heard.

It is unthinkable that we could allow that to happen without the bat of an eyelid, and carry on as normal.

In highlighting this today at Prime Ministers Question Time, the House of Commons Speaker suspended the SNP Westminster Leader, Ian Blackford. I joined my colleagues in walking out of the Chamber with him at that point.

With devolution being completely squeezed out of the debate, it is clear the UK Government intends to treat the SNP with the same braying and disrespect that we receive on a continual basis. Scottish Conservatives told us sit down, but I was not elected to sit back and allow such a piece of constitutional vandalism go unchallenged.

I accept that walking out in this way is not normal, and is not a decision that I took lightly. But my job as a Member of Parliament is to defend Scotland’s interests, and it cannot be in our interest to override the will of our Parliament in Edinburgh, and re-write the constitution after a 15 minute speech from a Conservative government minister at the exclusion of every single Member of Parliament from Scotland.

All of Scotland’s MPs have a duty to stand up against the betrayal that has taken place with the Tories' unprecedented power grab. Conservative, Labour and Liberal MPs have chosen to register no objection or protest whatsoever. I don’t believe that is how the job is done in the face of an extremely arrogant UK Government.