Humza Yousaf has “lost control of his party”, Scottish Labour has claimed, after a high-level row about whether SNP MPs should do less work at Westminster.
It followed an apparent U-turn by SNP depute leader Keith Brown, who used a Sunday newspaper article to argue it was worth considering withdrawal from the Commons.
However he changed tack later in the day as other senior figures in the party, including the First Minister, argued SNP MPs must be in Westminster to stand up for Scotland.
One of Mr Brown’s predecessors as depute leader, Angus Robertson, added today: “The SNP has always taken a seat in democratic chambers and there's no plans to change that.”
Scottish Labour deputy Dame Jackie Baillie said the SNP were fighting "like rats in a sack”.
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The controversy goes back to a botched decision by the Speaker of the Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, to break with precedent over a vote on a ceasefire in Gaza last month.
The SNP had planned to use its opposition day to debate the issue, but Sir Lindsay effectively gave Labour pole position, denying the SNP a vote on its own motion.
He later apologised for a mistake which saw the SNP demand his resignation.
SNP sources said last week that the party was considering a campaign of “disengagement” with day-to-day parliamentary activities as a result.
Writing in the Sunday National, Mr Brown said he had not previously backed such a plan, but now thought it worth considering.
“Some have believed for many years that Scotland should withdraw from Westminster, while others believe it is necessary to be there, to make arguments on Scotland’s behalf, to promote and protect Scotland’s interests. I have tended to agree with this,” he wrote.
“But when the institution can so easily be manipulated to thwart Scotland’s representatives, the issue needs, in my view, to be re-examined.”
The suggestion was explosive, as it handed the SNP’s opponents a chance to paint Nationalist MPs as work-shy and ineffectual in the run up to the general election.
Within hours, Mr Brown appeared to row back.
Writing on Twitter/X, he said: “The SNP's position is to engage, and there is no prospect of that changing for the general election.
“In the meantime, it's vital we have SNP MPs there to stand up for Scotland's interests and resist any efforts at Westminster to undermine our voice and stifle legitimate debate.”
On Sunday night, Mr Yousaf also issued a video on social media saying: “When the SNP is winning, the cause of independence is winning. And the converse is absolutely true.
“If those who oppose independence are winning, they'll take that as a mandate for further Westminster rule. That's why we need SNP MPs at Westminster, standing up for Scotland.”
Publishing the Scottish Government's latest independence paper at a press conference in Edinburgh, Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson also weighed into the issue today.
A former deputy leader of the SNP and a former Westminster leader, he repeatedly said he agreed with what Mr Brown said on Sunday night, rather than what he said in print.
“Keith Brown has said it's vital that the SNP and Scotland is represented at Westminster. In terms of representation at Westminster and being a strong voice for Scotland, that is the position of the SNP.
“However, I think it is fair to say that recent examples of what has happened at Westminster necessitates the thinking of how does one stand up for Scotland's interests on important issues.
“Gaza was one of those where we saw the UK Labour party in the UK Conservative party in different ways conspiring to block a vote on a subject which included wording they said was controversial [but] wording that has been used by the United Nations Secretary General since January, on the collective punishment of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
“So when it comes to standing up and making the point for what is right, ironically, it’s the SNP that is doing that not just in Scotland's name, but actually for a lot of people in the rest of the UK.
“So I agree with Keith Bown that it's vital that we're there. The SNP has always taken a seat in democratic chambers and there's no plans to change that. And that is exactly the point that Keith Brown was saying last night when he said it was vital. I agree with him.”
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Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: “With Keith Brown and Stephen Flynn both openly defying Humza Yousaf, it is clear that he has lost control of his party.
“We already knew that the London SNP do not listen to the First Minister – now we know his own sidekick thinks Humza Yousaf hasn’t the authority to set out party policy.
“While the SNP fight like rats in a sack, the people of Scotland are being failed.
“Only Scottish Labour will stand up – not stand aside – for Scotland."
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