JACOB Rees-Mogg was accused of making "disgraceful" comments after dismissing appeals to help confirm a new SNP MEP at the European Parliament in the final days before Brexit.

During Commons Business Questions, Nationalist spokesman Tommy Sheppard asked when Heather Anderson would be appointed to the Brussels Parliament to fill the position left vacant by Alyn Smith following his election as the MP for Stirling last month.

"We regard it as the utmost importance that our country is fully represented, albeit in its dying days of representation in the European Parliament, in order to oppose the direction that the Government has taken in that body,” declared Mr Sheppard.

"It'd be wrong if either through administrative oversight or a lack of political enthusiasm, we were not to be fully represented," he added to hear-hears from his SNP colleagues.

But Mr Rees-Mogg, the Commons Leader, replied: "As regards to the European Parliament, I cannot think why anyone would want to go there for eight days."

This prompted heckling from the SNP benches. Joanna Cherry, the MP for Edinburgh South West, could be heard shouting "disgraceful" and "anti-democratic".

Britain is due to leave the EU on January 31, with its 73 MEPs no longer in position after this date.

Also at question-time, Mr Sheppard referred to the Claim of Right, the acknowledgement that the Scottish people should determine their own future.

Noting how Mr Rees-Mogg had previously suggested he agreed with the Claim of Right, the Edinburgh MP said: “He seemed to indicate it was in some way discharged at the Scottish referendum in 2014.

“Can I ask him to confirm whether he believes the Claim of Right existed on September 19 2014 and every day thereafter or is it the case a right can be invalidated and extinguished by its exercise?”

The Commons Leader, pointing out how there would be a Westminster Hall debate on the Claim of Right on January 27, said the best he could do was to quote Ian Blackford, the SNP leader, who said Scotland had said no.

“Scotland did indeed say no," declared Mr Rees-Mogg. "It said no to separation in 2014. It decided its Claim of Right, to claim a right to be a part of the United Kingdom, and thank heavens for that,” he added.