‘Scotland will be back in EU after independence!’ Blackford’s staggering speech in debate

Brexit: Boris Johnson shuts down Ian Blackford’s fishing comments

The party’s Westminster leader intervened in a debate on the Brexit trade agreement with the EU to make a point of order – a procedure usually used to highlight inaccuracies or irregularities in a Commons debate. However, Mr Blackford interrupted the Prime Minister’s opening statement in the debate to promote Scottish independence.

He said: “It’s the people of Scotland that are sovereign, and it’s the people of Scotland that will determine to take them back into the European Union with independence.”

With just five hours to debate the Brexit trade deal and hundreds of MPs eager to speak on the subject, the remarks left Speaker Lindsay Hoyle infuriated for taking up time.

Speaker Lindsay Hoyle accused the SNP leader of deliberately abusing the point of order rule to make a point unrelated to the trade deal debate.

He said: “As the leader of the SNP knows, it is not a point of order.

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Ian Blackford intervened in the Brexit debate to promote Scottish independence (Image: PARLIAMENT.TV)

“I’m desperate to know what he has to say in his contribution, rather than use it up now, why doesn’t he just save it so we can get others in?”

Mr Blackford’s comments came despite already having time set aside for him in the debate to make a speech on his opinion on the EU trade deal negotiated by the Government.

The Speaker’s slap down of Mr Blackford came on his third bogus point of order in just 10 minutes.

His intervention into the Prime Minister’s statement ate into debate time, meaning less MPs would be likely to get the opportunity to have their say on the Brexit agreement.

At the start of the day the SNP demanded the length of debate for the trade deal be extended, warning not enough MPs would get a chance to have their say.

MPs defeated the SNP’s bid to extend the time available to debate the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill from five hours to seven hours by 362 votes to 60, majority 302.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson hails ‘historic new chapter’ as MPs begin Brexit debate 

Lindsay Hoyle accused the SNP leader of deliberately misusing Parliamentary procedure (Image: PARLIAMENT.TV)

Boris Johnson accused the SNP of trying to hand power back to the EU (Image: PA)

Following Mr Blackford’s intervention, the Prime Minister said his trade deal with the EU would benefit Scotland and accused the SNP of wanting to hand sovereignty back to Brussels.

He said: “Restoring Mr Speaker a great British industry to the eminence that it deserves, levelling up communities across the UK – particularly and including in Scotland, where their interests in my view have been neglected for too long.

“So I do find it extraordinary that on the eve of this great opportunity the declared position of the Scottish National Party is to hand control is to hand control of the very waters we have just reclaimed straight back to the EU.

“And they plan to ensnare Scotland’s fishing fleet in the dragnets of the Common Fisheries Policy all over again.”

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Ian Blackford said Scotland must now be allowed to choose between the UK and EU (Image: PARLIAMENT.TV)

Continuing his pro-independence tirade later in the debate when making his official contribution, Mr Blackford said Scotland must now have the right to determine its own future following Brexit.

Calling for a new independence referendum north of the border, he said: “Now that we see the scale of the bad Brexit deal the question before the Scottish people is clear – which union does Scotland wish to be part of?

“Which future will we choose? This broken Brexit Britain or the European Union?

“If this whole Brexit saga was truly about sovereignty then the Scottish people can’t and won’t be denied our sovereign right to that self-determination.

Brexit timeline: The UK’s journey to freedom from the EU (Image: EXPRESS)

“No democrat should stand in the way of that.

“The Tory denial of democracy is a position that can’t and won’t hold. Scotland will have the right to choose its own future.”

Mr Blackford continued: “Another Brexit bubble that badly needs bursting is the myth that leaving the EU will somehow make it easier for businesses to trade.

“This is literally the first trade deal in history that puts up barriers for business instead of removing them.”