SNP chiefs are this weekend expected to map out their “frustration strategy” aimed at disrupting UK Government business at Westminster in the wake of Theresa May’s decision to plough ahead with the Brexit Bill in the face of Holyrood’s opposition.

Nicola Sturgeon, Ian Blackford and other senior figures will discuss how the party can best highlight its grievance with the UK Government’s action, branded by the SNP leadership as a “democratic outrage”.

After the Westminster party leader was ordered from the House of Commons by the Speaker, John Bercow on Wednesday, which led to a mass walk-out by Nationalist MPs, |Mr Blackford made clear that the country was now in a constitutional crisis and that a new era had emerged in which the Scottish Nationalists would seek to “frustrate” the day-to-day business of the Prime Minister and her colleagues.

The Highland MP stressed how his party would robustly use parliamentary procedures to make their displeasure known, although precise details of future action were not given.

When it was suggested yesterday that the SNP might seek to frustrate the UK Government’s aim of creating a third runway at Heathrow – Nationalist votes in the Commons could be key to realising the Conservative plan – the party leader gave a non-committal response.

He said: “I’m not prepared to get into what we’re going to do over the next few weeks. We will be taking it one step at a time.”

Some of Mr Blackford’s colleagues have suggested that the “template” for the SNP’s frustration strategy should be the obstructionist actions of Charles Stewart Parnell and the Irish Nationalists of the 19th century, who used a number of parliamentary devices to “gum up” Westminster’s business. These included making overly lengthy speeches, tabling numerous amendments and calling continual votes.

On Wednesday, the SNP leader deployed the unusual parliamentary technique of calling on the Speaker to allow a vote to enable the Commons to sit in private session. This would have meant, if passed, the public would have been ejected as well as journalists, so that the proceedings would not have been recorded.

On Monday, MPs will take part in a so-called SO24 debate on the issue of Brexit and devolution, the subject of which caused so much controversy earlier this week when Commons exchanges on the subject took up just 15 minutes with another four devoted to the issue of the Northern Irish border.

Elsewhere, Mr Blackford has written to Mrs May to complain about the actions of Tory MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, who he said had shouted "suicide" at the Nationalist benches when the party asked the Speaker what options were available to them concerning the lack of debate on devolution and their claim of a Whitehall power-grab.

“To shout 'suicide' across the chamber is not fitting of a Member of Parliament and it should not be tolerated,” declared the SNP leader.

“A few months ago, I met with the Prime Minister and other party leaders to discuss how we can combat bullying behaviour in the House of Commons. It was agreed that we should find a solution.

“This is not the first time our MPs have suffered abuse in the chamber. Tory MP Sir Nicholas Soames was forced to apologise to Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh during a statement by the Foreign Secretary, for making ‘woofing’ noises at her.

"This sort of behaviour is unacceptable; MPs must lead by example. I have suggested to the Prime Minister that she raises this issue with the House next week," added the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber.

But Mr Liddell-Grainger has hit back, insisting he referred to “political suicide” and as a former soldier was well aware of mental health issues.

He claimed his remark had been blown out of proportion and criticised the SNP for raising the issue after he had left the chamber, an action he branded “pathetic and cowardly”.

The Tory backbencher added: "As a Scot I am not prepared to take lessons from a bunch of people who have not only ruined their country but who can’t be bothered to listen properly to what people say. They can take their objections and stuff them."