I have now been in parliament for eight weeks. Once I had overcome the initial euphoria of the general election, the political student in me could see what must happen. We must work with all parties across the opposition benches, particularly Labour. After all, we are fighting one of the most ideological governments the UK has seen.

It was by surprise that the first opportunity to do this was actually on an amendment put forward by a backbench Tory rebel challenging his own government. William Cash put forward an amendment which would have applied the same purdah arrangements that govern ministerial and official announcements, visits and publicity during general elections to the campaign period before the EU referendum.

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As depressing as it is that the Conservatives have a majority in parliament, it is worth remembering that the majority is very slim by historical standards. The SNP did not only believe in the argument put forward in the amendment, but we also viewed this as an opportunity to defeat the government on a key issue. All 56 of us trooped through the lobby alongside 25 Tory rebels to discover only four Labour members alongside us. Four.

An opportunity to defeat the government that Labour so fervidly claim to oppose, yet they abstained and allowed the government to defeat us. Similarly, in the first few weeks they failed to join us in the lobbies as we attempted to end the austerity agenda in the Queen’s speech.

It seems that Labour just do not like voting alongside the SNP – whatever the issue.

I, like so many members of the SNP, come from a traditional socialist and Labour background. The general election result was, of course, crushing for Labour MPs south of the border as well as north, and the wounds are still very open and very sore. I understand that it must have come as a shock to many Labour members that the apparently safe haven and Labour-voting Scotland had overwhelmingly and consciously rejected the party that once ruled the roost.

The SNP is not the sole opposition party – but neither is Labour. We share those opposition benches together

I fully appreciate that simply on a human level it must be a blow to see so many colleagues, and often friends, losing their jobs. But, as my SNP parliamentary colleague Tommy Sheppard once said, they must get over it.

I know there are Labour MPs with constituencies like mine, with beliefs like mine and with desires for a better society like mine. It is now time to build upon these shared goals.

We are in a new session of parliament now. Already we have seen a glimpse of the brutal cuts and ideological endeavours of this government, with more still to come.

Whether we like it or not, the SNP is not the sole opposition party – but neither is Labour. We share those opposition benches together and it is through them that we must oppose, not abstain. We – that is all the opposing parties together – had a chance to defeat the government in its first few weeks. Labour did not take that chance. However, there is a hand of friendship being outstretched across those benches; I hope that Labour is prepared to take it.