BORIS Johnson has clashed with an SNP MP at a Liaison Committee meeting after he was pushed on the rising support for Scottish independence.
Angus MacNeil, the SNP representative for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (formerly the Western Isles), accused the Prime Minister of not respecting democracy in Scotland.
He added: “But the good news is and the happy news is that poll after poll shows that Scotland wants to be independent.”
MacNeil then asked: “When will you agree to the Scottish Government’s request for a Section 30? Will you ever agree to the Scottish Government’s request for a Section 30, or an independence referendum?”
Johnson responds slowly saying: “Ah, err, the, the, Scottish Nationalist Party…”
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He is then corrected by MacNeil, who points out that it is the Scottish Government he is referring to.
Johnson continues: “... fought the, err, referendum in 2014 very clearly on the understanding this was a once-in-a…”
At this point MacNeil interrupts the Prime Minister again, anticipating his next point of argument and saying: “Not at all, and that was not in the Edinburgh agreement.”
Johnson carries on: “It was something that I believe both Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond said at the time in persuading people to cast their votes.
“Err, they voted…”
“You said you would die in a ditch,” the SNP member then interrupts, referring to Johnson’s infamous proclamation that he would rather be “dead in a ditch” than delay Brexit beyond October 31, 2019.
The PM goes on: “They voted, they voted overwhelmingly, err, very substantially, err, to stay in the Union.”
At this point MacNeil interrupts again, and the chair of the committee is forced to call for order.
The discussion continues with MacNeil pushing for a yes or no answer to his question and Johnson repeating lines about the strength of the Union and “once-in-a-generation” votes.
In a heated exchange, MacNeil also asked Johnson how many Japanese trade deals would be needed to make up for the damage caused by Brexit, given that the deal was worth just one-seventieth of the cost of leaving the EU.
The Tory PM said he didn’t accept that characterisation of Brexit, to which MacNeil responded: “Well, it’s your own Government’s numbers.”
Johnson continued by mentioning Trade Secretary Liz Truss and the deals she is aiming to make in the future.
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In the short time MacNeil was afforded, he also touched on Richard Keen’s resignation from the post of Advocate General for Scotland, asking Johnson if he knew someone with few enough principles to take the job.
MacNeil also said the PM had demonised the EU even though it offered its member states, such as Ireland, far more autonomy than the UK did.
MacNeil asked: “Are you proud of being the Prime Minister of such a centralising state?”
Johnson responded: “Well, I, just, erm, erm, you know, must say, I really have to, disagree very very strongly.”
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