IAN Blackford has accused Boris Johnson of “demeaning the office” of Prime Minister in the same way as former US President Donald Trump.
The SNP Westminster leader launched renewed calls for Johnson to resign ahead of the widfely anticipated publication of civil servant Sue Gray’s report into partygate.
The timing of the release is still unknown, with speculation that it could be released as PMQs begins with Johnson then giving a statement.
READ MORE: PMQs LIVE: Boris Johnson faces MPs over Downing Street parties
Blackford, speaking to Kay Burley on Sky News, said that it “wasn’t right” if senior politicians and the media were not given the report with enough time to scrutinise it.
It is unclear whether Downing Street has released the report, but it is understood Gray has told the PM he must release it in full in a few hours after it is handed to him.
Ahead of what is likely to be a tense and lively PMQs at noon on Wednesday, Blackford told Sky News that Number 10 aren’t “behaving in a normal way”.
He said: “Let's take what's happening over Ukraine. I yesterday in the House of Commons thanked Ben Wallace for the courtesies that he's extending, the courtesies that he's extended to myself to Keir Starmer to have Privy Council briefings.
Johnson will face MPs at PMQs on Wednesday amid speculation the Gray report will be released
“If it wasn't for Ben Wallace, who wouldn't have had them. Because Number 10, the government doesn't behave in normal ways. They don't follow the normal protocols. They don't follow the rules.”
Burley said that Johnson was “fighting for his political life”, and Blackford agreed, but added that Johnson sees everyone as an enemy.
He added: “ I think the man is a disgrace the way that he's handled himself.
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“He doesn't recognise the responsibility as he's behaving in a Trumpian way. And that is that threat to our democracy.
“You can see the legislation that's gone through everything that's happened with the elections bill, for example, is going to constrain our democracy.
“And I think the biggest sadness out of all of this, we should be talking about Ukraine. We should be talking about the cost of living crisis.
Blackford compared Johnson to former US President Donald Trump
“We had an opposition day on that Monday, but everything has been framed around this one man around the Prime Minister, he is the distraction and he needs to be gone.”
Asked to expand on the phrase Trumpian, Blackford added: “In a Trumpian way he is behaving in exactly the same way, demeaning the office in exactly the same way as we saw from President Donald Trump as well.
“And we need to make sure that we, all of us, opposition members, Conservative MPs, take our responsibilities and make sure that this man has gone from office.”
It comes as Johnson supporter Jacob Rees-Mogg said that removing the PM from office would trigger a general election.
The Leader of the House of Commons told BBC’s Newsnight that the UK has moved to a “presidential system” and that the mandate Johnson was elected on was “personal rather than entirely party”.
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