Wes Streeting has accused SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn of being the archetypal “career politician” as he rejected claims that he was himself an “identikit” MP.
Labour’s shadow health secretary hit back after Mr Flynn criticised him in an interview in today’s Herald with Kevin McKenna.
The Aberdeen South MP said: “Look at Wes Streeting. He’s a decent bloke on one level, but if you were going to design an identikit politician it would be Wes Streeting. That’s just not me.”
Mr Streeting, whose account of a childhood scarred by hardship and family turmoil in London has become a best-seller, later took issue with the remark on the Edinburgh Fringe.
READ MORE: Stephen Flynn: 'No job exists in the world where everyone gets on'
He told Iain Dale’s All Talk at the Pleasance at the EICC said: “I would just like to point out that, as well as being slightly younger than I am [34 to 40], his career was studying politics at University, studying politics in international relations at Masters level, becoming a researcher for the SNP at Holyrood and Westminster, becoming a councillor, becoming a member of parliament. If anyone’s got the CV of a career politician it’s Stephen Flynn.”
Mr Streeting, the MP for Ilford North, also said the SNP’s modus operandi at Westminster was “constant whinging and wailing and pretending they don’t have any agency and that the Scottish Government is basically beholden to Westminster.
“I don’t think the SNP can get away with saying the reason child poverty is rising on our watch is because of the Tories. I think they have to take some responsibility too.”
He also said the party’s MPs were “at each other’s throats”, making a welcome change from infighting in the Labour party.
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