A ROW has blown up after the SNP leader at Westminster was told to "go back to Skye" as he went to speak at an emergency Brexit debate.
Ian Blackford, the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, was being introduced to lead an emergency debate he had brought forward when he was heckled by Sir Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill.
READ MORE: Westminster 'must allow Indyref2' if requested by Scottish Government says Ian Blackford
One MP could be heard to say: "Oh come on, Nicholas".
Then Mr Blackford responded saying. "Well there we are, I don't know, I think that's perhaps been picked up by the microphone but it has just been chuntered from a sedantary position, 'go back to the Isle of Skye'.
"Mr Speaker, there's the message from the people of Scotland from the Conservative benches and the people of Scotland will reflect on the kind of ignorance and arrogance which is shown by honorable, so-called honorable members."
The MP for Ross, Skye & Lochaber later tweeted a video of Scotland lochs and mountains and added: " I look forward to going back to Scotland and my beautiful constituency of Skye, every single minute I'm at Westminster.
"But if the attitudes on display today continue, I don't think you'll have to worry about Scottish MPs for too much longer."
Neil Gray, the SNP's Westminster spokesman on social justice, inclusion and wellbeing said: "Couldn’t believe what I heard from Nicholas Soames shouting 'go back to Isle of Skye' as Ian Blackford stood up... Shameful, contemptuous behaviour. Ian clearly getting under skin of the Tories and they are reduced to abusing him and shouting down."
.@NSoames I look forward to going back to Scotland and my beautiful constituency of Skye, every single minute I'm at Westminster.
— Ian Blackford (@IanBlackfordMP) December 18, 2018
But if the attitudes on display today continue, I don't think you'll have to worry about Scottish MPs for too much longer. pic.twitter.com/5x7Efeu9e6
. @theresa_may didn't turn upto today's debate, during which I was heckled and told to go home. This Gov is letting down it's people and it's MP's are becoming ever more vicious and inward looking. Scotland will not get back in our box, no matter what Tories in Westminster want. pic.twitter.com/GAQdmOlvTD
— Ian Blackford (@IanBlackfordMP) December 18, 2018
Fellow MP Angus MacNeil added: "“Go back to Skye” says Nicholas Soames as Ian Blackford rises to speak in Commons .. time we all went back to Scotland to be honest like any self-respecting country.”
Sir Nicholas has previously had to apologise for heckling an SNP MP.
In January 2017, he made a ‘woof’ noise at Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh.
He said: “I thought that in her question to the Foreign Secretary she snapped at him a bit at the end, so I offered her a friendly canine salute in return.
“No offence was intended and I apologise to the Honourable Lady if she was offended.”
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