THE Scottish Conservatives have come under fire for voting to let Boris Johnson off “scot-free with lies and corruption”.
On Tuesday, the SNP brought a censure motion accusing Johnson of violating the principle of honesty in public office. The motion underlined a number of examples of Tory sleaze and called on the Prime Minister to have his salary reduced by £41,567.
“Unless the Prime Minister faces consequences - unless he is censured - he won’t just think he’s gotten away with the mess he has made of the last few months, he will think he can do it all over again,” SNP Westminster chief Ian Blackford told MPs.
The motion was rejected by a majority of 107, though it was backed by representatives for the SNP, Labour, LibDems, Plaid Cymru and the SDLP. Green MP Caroline Lucas also supported the motion.
Johnson spent the debate outside at a food and drink pop-up market near Downing Street.
Conservative MPs John Lamont, David Mundell, Andrew Bowie, David Duguid all rejected the motion. The remaining two Scottish Tory MPs, leader Douglas Ross and Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, did not vote. Ross was at Holyrood yesterday in his role as an MSP rather than Westminster.
Pete Wishart, the SNP’s shadow leader of the Commons, criticised the Scottish Tories for failing to take a stand – and took aim at Labour members, many of whom were not present for the lengthy debate preceding the vote.
READ MORE: Ian Blackford faces shouting and heckling while trying to point out Tory sleaze
“It is shameful that the Scottish Tories let Boris Johnson get away scot-free with lies and corruption - but it is not surprising given the Scottish Tory leader’s recent actions,” the MP said.
“Not one Tory MP was able to stand up and rebut the points we made and defend Boris Johnson’s actions or the fact that he has been at the rotten core of scandal after scandal. That speaks volumes.
“Instead, they showed again just how out-of-touch they are with the people of Scotland. Not one Tory MP in their response today recognised that this issue - the fact we have a Prime Minister that has ripped up the rule book and is at the centre of sleaze, lies, corruption and scandal - does matter to the Scottish people. And it should matter to them.”
Wishart said Johnson must now face the consequences of “his government’s corruption” – and said if Labour keep failing to “stand up for democracy” then the SNP will step up to the plate.
"People in Scotland are looking in horror at the series of scandals engulfing the Westminster government,” he added. “[Yesterday] was an opportunity for Parliament to finally hold Boris Johnson to account - it failed to do so. It is clear that Westminster is broken beyond repair and the only real fix is for Scotland to shake Westminster off for good as an independent country."
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