IAN Blackford appealed to the other opposition parties in the Commons to quickly get behind a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson’s “dangerous government.”
In yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, the SNP’s leader at Westminster warned colleagues against “doing nothing”.
Talks between MPs on holding a vote of no confidence in the Tory government have faltered in recent days.
That’s, in part, down to a failure to agree on when to call the vote, and on who, if the vote is successful, should lead any new caretaker-government.
The LibDems want a temporary government led by a senior member of parliament and not Jeremy Corbyn.
That has been flatly rejected by Labour.
“We are not entering a government of national unity,” the party’s John McDonnell said earlier this week.
He also said Labour were unlikely to push for a confidence vote until after the European Union summit later this month, and that it would depend on the views of the 21 ex-Tory MPs kicked out of the party by Johnson last month.
It’s understood the SNP are frustrated at the little progress being made in the cross party talks.
In the Commons yesterday, Blackford suggested parliament might not have the time to wait.
“The fact is that this Prime Minister cannot be trusted,” he said.
The SNP Westminster leader added: “This government must be stopped.
“I’m looking now at colleagues on the opposition benches and I urge them – we must unite, we must stop this Prime Minister by removing him from office.
“The SNP stand ready to bring this government down. Other parties need to step up at this moment of national crisis.
“Prepare a vote of no confidence, ensure a Brexit extension, prevent a No-Deal and call a general election.
“Doing nothing is not an option. We must act.”
With Johnson at Tory party conference, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was responding for the government.
Blackford asked the Brexit backing minister to give Johnson a message from the SNP: “It’s not a case of if, but when, we will bring this dangerous government down”.
Raab said Blackford was at “risk of sounding like he’s all mouth and no trousers.”
“He had the chance to vote for a general election and he turned it down,” he added.
LibDem leader Jo Swinson has suggested veteran Europhile and former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke and Labour’s Margaret Beckett, could be possible temporary Prime Ministers.
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