SNP membership has risen by over 5,000 in the 24-hours following a mass-walkout by its MPs in parliament, Sky News has learned.

5,085 people have "surged" to join Nicola Sturgeon's party, a source said, to unite against a "power grab" by the Conservatives on Brexit.

They added that about 50-100 normally join or rejoin the party every day, meaning the daily rate of growth in members is up to 100 times or 9,900% higher than the daily minimum.

SNP MPs stormed out of the Commons chamber when their Westminster leader Ian Blackford was kicked out by the speaker during Prime Ministers Questions.

Mr Blackford was protesting at MPs being given around an hour to consider over 50 amendments to the Brexit bill on devolution.


Moment SNP storms out of chamber

An SNP insider credited the membership boom to "Tory attacks on devolution".

The source told Sky News: "Scotland will not be silenced and voters are uniting against the brazen Tory power grab.

"Like the party's extraordinary membership surge of 2014, joining the SNP has become a powerful symbol and the best way of ensuring Scotland's voice is heard."

Downing Street on Wednesday dismissed the disruption of Theresa May's weekly grilling in Westminster as a "stunt".

The prime minister's spokesman said: "That sort of stunt effectively means that the SNP members who were down on the order paper to ask the PM questions can't represent their constituents."

Scotland Secretary David Mundell also said the SNP was about to be granted a debate on the devolution aspects of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill.

He said he was "disappointed, if not surprised, that if they really felt so strongly about it, they chose a stunt over holding the government to account".