THE Scottish Tories were slammed as Theresa May’s “poodles” by the SNP in a debate in the Commons yesterday.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell was also repeatedly asked to name one power that would return to Holyrood as a result of Brexit. The Tory frontbencher, who once claimed leaving the EU would lead to a powers “bonanza” for the Scottish Parliament, dismissed the call and talks of a “naked power grab” as “pantomime”.

During the “devolution day” of debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill, Mundell’s backbenchers performed a very soft rebellion. While they didn’t vote against the government and refused to back Labour or SNP amendments to the motion, they told ministers that the controversial Clause 11, which sees powers repatriated from Brussels go straight to London rather than Edinburgh, needed to change as it didn’t respect the integrity of devolution.

East Renfrewshire Tory MP Paul Masterton, who is at odds with many in his own party over Brexit – a position that recently saw him branded a “mutineer” on the front page of The Daily Telegraph – said he and his Scottish colleagues wanted reassurances that the government would make changes to the Bill.

“We will in exchange for supporting the government [in last night’s vote] require confirmation from ministers that they will expedite conversations with ministers in Scotland,” Masterton said.

Because he respected “the integrity of the Union,” Masterton said his support for UK government was “conditional” and should not be taken as support for Clause 11.

“There is much at stake here. If the above steps are not completed, legislative consent motions will not be granted by the devolved administrations and [the House of Lords] will not pass the Bill. l think that is not a situation that I genuinely believe any of us want to find ourselves in.”

In his speech SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the Scottish Tories were the Prime Minister’s “poodles” and insisted he was willing to call on the Scottish Parliament to consent to the Withdrawal Bill, but only after substantial amendments.

Blackford called on the Scots Tory MPs to back changes to Clause 11 by doing more than just talking about putting pressure on government, and actually put pressure on government by voting with their SNP, Scottish Labour and Scottish Lib Dems colleagues.

“Conservative members that have been sent here from Scotland constituencies, are they going to defend the interests of the Scottish Parliament or are they simply going to go through the lobbies tonight and speak up for London?” Blackford asked. “We want to keep power where it belongs – in the Scottish Parliament.”

Moray’s Tory MP Douglas Ross queried this, saying “the SNP wants powers to come back from Europe to go to Scotland, for Scotland to be independent to shove these powers straight back to Europe.”

“Legally illiterate,” shouted Joanna Cherry.

Blackford went on: “Here we are 17 months after the referendum, no new powers for Scotland, in fact Brexit means Scotland losing powers.”

There was audible disagreement from the Tory front bench.

“I can hear huffing coming from the other side,” Blackford said. “I will let any member of the government rise now and name one power, just one, one power that’s coming back to Scotland.”

Mundell got to his feet: “All 111 powers were subject to discussion between the two governments, and the two governments will bring forward their proposals in due course. This power grab, this naming one power ... it’s pantomime.

“What this government is involved in is the reality of negotiating a way forward on this matter.”

Blackford dismissed Mundell as the “Government’s man in Scotland, rather than Scotland’s man in the government.”

Labour MP Ian Murray, who had tabled amendments, also questioned Scottish Tory claims to be standing up for Scotland. Ruth Davidson, he pointed out, had said the block of 13 Tory MPs elected in June would “fight the corner of Scotland”.

They had, Murray seemed to suggest, been got at by May’s Government. “One has to ask the ask question if Conservative members of parliament from Scotland in this house are indeed here under the flag of the Conservative leader Ruth Davidson or whether or not they’re under the flag of the whips office of the UK Government”.

The debate continued late into the night.