Obstructionist tactics of Parnell's Irish Nationalists should be SNP 'template,' say party insiders

In Commons exchanges, SNP MP Stewart McDonald invoked the spirit of Mr Parnell, who led the campaign for Irish Home Rule in the 1880s; his bronze bust sits outside party leader Ian Blackford’s Commons office.

Mr McDonald told MPs: “Parnell, of course, along with his colleagues at the time, successfully used the standing orders of the House to frustrate Government business - which is an entirely legitimate tactic - to force them to take Irish issues seriously, including in a 45-hour sitting on the 1877 South Africa Bill.

“Given the way that Ireland has this Government over a barrel at the minute, it might just be that those tactics are of interest to honourable members at the present time,” said the Glasgow South MP.

In his Herald column today, Kenny Macaskill, the former Scottish Government Justice Secretary, says that Parnell’s Irish Parliamentary Party should now be the “model” for the SNP at Westminster.

“Under the great Charles Stewart Parnell they flourished in the chamber when it suited them but never forgot that their purpose was to leave it,” he explains, adding: “Hopefully, that will now be the template for the modern SNP…”

Asked about the Nationalist leadership’s threat to frustrate Government business in the Commons, Theresa May’s spokesman stressed how UK ministers had sought to “work constructively” with the Scottish Government and the SNP leadership throughout the Brexit process and would continue to do so.

He added: “It’s a matter for the SNP what they choose to do in Parliament.”

As reported by The Herald yesterday, the constitutional row over the EU Withdrawal Bill and Holyrood withholding consent looks set to be repeated this autumn over the Government’s Trade Bill as Edinburgh has similar “power-grab” concerns about it.

This means when Whitehall seeks the consent of MSPs on the important legislation, they will almost certainly refuse to give it.

Back in the Commons after his eviction from Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Blackford claimed the Tory Government had "totally shafted" the people of Scotland over Brexit and repeated his call for David Mundell to resign.

The party leader accused the Scottish Secretary of having "downgraded devolution" and urged him to apologise for ignoring Holyrood by supporting the Withdrawal Bill.

But Mr Mundell countered by insisting the so-called Sewel Convention was not absolute, explaining how the UK Government would seek consent from Holyrood unless there were "not normal circumstances applying". Leaving the EU, he contended, was “not normal circumstances".

The Secretary of State claimed the SNP Government had adopted an “unreasonable position” from the outset ie “it would be content with nothing less than a veto” on UK matters. This, he said, was unacceptable as it would undermine the integrity of the country's internal market.

Mr Mundell pointed to helpful interventions by former PM Gordon Brown, who suggested reducing the temporary suspension of devolved powers from seven to five years, and by the ex-civil service mandarin Jim Gallagher, who said Westminster’s control of devolved powers returning from Brussels should be limited to areas, which only dealt with Britain’s international obligations.

“We reached out to Michael Russell to see whether he was willing to engage with that process,” explained the Scottish Secretary. “But I am afraid the clear message was that the Scottish Government’s position is as it was…and that there is no scope for compromise.”

Mr Russell, the Scottish Government’s Brexit Minister, was in Dublin on Thursday, where he insisted the devolved administrations “must be involved in any future trade negotiations” post Brexit; something the PM has hitherto set her face against.

*Meanwhile, it has emerged the Commons Speaker has granted a debate on Scotland and Brexit for Monday; it is due to coincide with England’s opening World Cup match against Tunisia.