A second independence referendum as the UK seeks to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic would be “reckless”, Jacob Rees-Mogg has claimed.
The Tory leader of the House of Commons said “some little local difficulties” the SNP has over the Salmond and Sturgeon fall-out as another reason to not hold an independence poll.
Rees-Mogg made his now regular attacks on independence while answering questions in the Commons.
SNP MP Angus MacNeil asked: “If the Scottish people or indeed the Welsh people, given the polling in Wales this morning, were to vote for independence at the ballot box, would he respect that choice of the Scottish and indeed the Welsh people?”
Rees-Mogg replied: “There was a referendum, he may have forgotten, in 2014 in Scotland which settled the issue."
“It seems to me it would be reckless in the midst of sorting out a pandemic, getting the economy back on its feet and some little local difficulties going on with the leadership of the Scottish National Party to be proposing a referendum at this point.”
The Salmond row also reared up at the Commons Scottish Affairs committee leading to angry exchanges between Scottish Government Trade Minister Ivan McKee and Tory Borders MP John Lamont.
Lamont brought up the issue with mock concern for the Minister’s well being.
Speaking remotely to the committee Lamont asked McKee: “It must be a really difficult time being an SNP minister just now, trying to focus on your job given a former First Minister has been in court over a serious sexual assault allegations, and there’s been wall to wall news coverage of the ongoing Scottish Parliament committee investigating the mishandling by the Scottish Government of those sexual assault allegations. How are you bearing up Minister McKee?”
But McKee shot back: “I’m doing absolutely fine, focused on the day job Mr Lamont. I would suggest that you do the same and stop trying to distract from the behaviour of the UK Government, with regards to trying to ride roughshod over devolution. That’s what I’m here to talk about, not to talk about the distractions that you maybe want to focus on instead. Get back and do your day job.”
As committee chairman Pete Wishart attempted to restore order McKee said that the Lamond was “embarrassing” himself in a committee meeting.
There were further tense moments as Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross the Scottish government Minister exchanged views on Brexit trade policy.
