THE LEADER of the Scottish Conservatives has said the SNP does not speak for Scotland during a furious debate on a controversial government trade bill.
Douglas Ross, MP for Moray, was speaking during the debate on the UK Internal Market Bill in Westminster this evening.
He was called following a speech by veteran SNP MP Pete Wishart, who accused the UK Government of being a "pariah state" and said: "If they want a no deal Brexit, go ahead, have it, we'll wish you all the best, but do not bring down our beautiful nation in the process.
Read more: Parliament RECAP: Internal Market Bill vote as it happened
"Never before has there been such a sustained attack on our parliament, or our democracy.
"The invention and the development of the UK single market is one of the most spectacular and dishonest pieces of political chicanery we've ever witnessed in recent times."
In response, Mr Ross said: "I simply say Scotland is my nation as well. The SNP do not speak for Scotland. The SNP are not Scotland.
"I am proud to be Scottish and British and when the SNP stand up and claim they speak for the whole of Scotland, they do not, and the honourable gentleman [Pete Wishart] would be advised to stop making out as if they do."
He added that the trade bill was "at its heart" a bill about business and jobs, and accused the SNP of failing to mention jobs during any of their MPs speeches.
He said: "And is it not telling tonight, that in all the SNP speeches I've listened to jobs and businesses have not been mentioned once, because the SNP were opposed to this internal market bill long before the events of the last few days.
"Because the SNP are opposed to what that means for Scotland, what this UK government can do for Scotland... What it can do for the 545,000 jobs that the Fraser of Allander Institute says rely on the internal market of the United Kingdom."
Further reading:
- UK Internal Market bill passed by MPs despite it breaking international law
- Parliament RECAP: Internal Market Bill vote as it happened
- Watch: Ed Miliband's scathing takedown of Boris Johnson
- Watch: Douglas Ross insists the SNP 'does not speak for Scotland'
- Sajid Javid and the growing list of Tory rebels refusing to back new Brexit bill
- Explained: What is the Internal Market Bill and how does it break international law?
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