THE SNP has come under fire for siding with Labour and Tory rebels to ensure the government suffered an humiliating Commons defeat over plans to extend Sunday trading hours south of the border.
Plans to allow English and Welsh councils to extend opening hours were defeated in the Commons by 317 votes to 286, as 26 Conservatives rebelled.
But communities minister Brandon Lewis accused the SNP of hypocrisy, as similar measures are already in place in Scotland.
Read more: Osborne slammed for 'buying off MPs' over Sunday trading vote
"Majority in English and Welsh MPs for Sunday Trading," he posted on Twitter. "SNP stop rest of country have freedom Scotland has."
And Business Secretary Sajid Javid told MPs: "Of course we always listen to the will of this House, but England and Wales MPs voted for this motion and it was denied to them by the SNP.
"I'm disappointed at the childish and hypocritical SNP. Not only do they wish to deny Sunday shopping to those in England and Wales. They want to devolve matters; they oppose a motion to do just that."
Pressed on whether the Government would now drop the plans altogether, Mr Javid stressed that the majority of English and Welsh MPs had supported the change.
“It was denied because of the SNP,” he added. “The only thing the SNP was interested in today was headlines.”
In the biggest proposed shake-up for 20 years, ministers wanted to give the 353 councils in England and 22 in Wales the freedom to determine opening hours for large shops in their area.
But the plans were opposed by Labour and the SNP, while more than 20 Conservatives MPs were also expected to defy the government.
The SNP has an informal policy of abstaining in votes on English legislation that does not have an immediate Scottish consequence.
But the SNP decided to oppose the plans saying some Scottish workers were paid extra for working on Sundays and there were no guarantees these "premium pay" rates, worth thousands of pounds a year, would be protected if hours were extended in other parts of the UK.
The shopworkers’ union Usdaw persuaded the SNP that normalising Sunday trading hours in England and Wales would prompt large retailers to set a lower wage for workers across the UK.
Commenting on the government defeat SNP deputy leader and economy spokesman Stewart Hosie MP said: "Common sense has prevailed on Sunday trading, and the SNP has ensured Scottish workers pay will be protected.
“The SNP are supporters of Sunday trading – we think in principle it can be a good thing – but we are clear that it should not be happening on the back of often low paid shop workers in Scotland and throughout the UK.”
Shadow business secretary Angela Eagle said the Government should now abandon "tawdry attempts" to force the plans through parliament.
MPs were denied the opportunity to debate the 11th-hour compromise, after Speaker John Bercow declined to provide Commons time. Ministers then tried to win over sceptics by promising the pilot scheme will instead be tabled in the House of Lords if they reject the rebel amendment.
Meanwhile, the Business Department released the results of an official assessment of the potential impact of extended Sunday trading hours, which suggested liberalisation could benefit the UK economy by an estimated £1.5 billion or more over 10 years.
Individual households could expect to benefit by the equivalent of £29 as retailers pass on savings generated by the ability to maximise the use of large stores, the department suggested.
Setting out details of the latest concession, Mr Lewis said the Government was ready to ditch its plan to extend powers to set Sunday opening hours to councils nationwide on the first day of the new regime.
Instead, it will invite local authorities to apply for places on the year-long pilot scheme. Twelve locations, which are nominated locally and are "geographically, economically and demographically diverse" will be selected to take part in a study to determine the impact of liberalisation.
Usdaw general secretary John Hannett said: "This is a huge victory for shop workers and all those who value the special nature of Sundays and we are grateful to MPs from all parties who supported our campaign and voted against the Government this evening.
"This is the third occasion in five years that Conservative Ministers have attempted to permanently change Sunday trading regulations and the third time they have been unsuccessful.
"We hope now the Government will leave this great British compromise alone and focus on providing real support for the retail sector not the unwanted and unnecessary bureaucracy that devolution would have resulted in."
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