SNP minister Michael Russell: Heckling at Westminster is anti-Scottish 'racism'

A senior Scottish Government minister has called on Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle to “stamp out” barracking of SNP MPs at Westminster, calling it a “a form of discrimination”.

By Paris Gourtsoyannis Thursday, 23rd January 2020, 4:25 pm

Michael Russell accused Tories of a “deliberate attempt to drown out the elected representatives of Scotland” after the SNP’s Westminster leader faced a wall of noise at PMQs yesterday.

Ian Blackford has consistently been heckled and jeered by the Conservative benches when rising to speak in the Commons chamber, and both sides’ MPs have often tried to shout each other down when the issue of Scottish independence arises.

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Wednesday’s session of PMQs saw independence supporters take to social media to protest Mr Blackford’s treatment, with several calling for the Speaker to take action - and one claiming Mr Hoyle should be “sacked”.

Mr Russell was responding to a tweet claiming that “if an English person working in Scotland was jeered every time they spoke” it would be considered “harassment” and “racism”.

The Cabinet Secretary for Constitutional Relations, who represents the Scottish Government in Brexit talks with the UK Government, replied: “It is a good point.

“The orchestrated barracking and the deliberate attempt to drown out the elected representatives of Scotland in the House of Commons is a form of discrimination and should be called such. Surely the Speaker should stamp it out?”