Blackford and Johnson clash at PMQs

The SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford has followed up on his party’s independence plans by telling Prime Minister Boris Johnson “our nation is big enough, rich enough, smart enough and we are ready to join our neighbours”.

But the PM insisted Scotland benefited form the “UK working well together”.

Appearing at Prime Minister’s Questions, in the House of Commons, the Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP asked Johnson: “A cost of living crisis worse in the UK than in any other G7 country, an inflation rate double that of France and the second worst economic growth forecast in the G20. Next only to sanctioned Russia.

“And now, the cost of living with Westminster made worse by an impending trade war with our European friends – triggered by this law breaking Prime Minister. That is not a vision for the future of Scotland."

“Our nation is big enough, rich enough, smart enough and we are ready to join our neighbours.

“Isn’t it the case, Prime Minister, that Scotland simply can’t afford to remain trapped in this failing Westminster system?”

Amidst jeers from the Conservative benches, Johnson replied: “I think the figures speak for themselves, the UK has record figures of people in payroll employment, that’s an astounding thing when you consider where we were during the pandemic.

“That’s because of the UK working well together, as he will remember, with the vaccine rollout, with the testing, with which Scotland and the rest of the country cooperated brilliantly.

“He talks about a trade war, what could be more foolish than a project which actually envisages trade barriers within parts of the United Kingdom – that’s what we’re trying to break down.”

The exchange comes on the back of the Scottish Government unveiling the first of a series of paper outlining its position on Scottish independence, and the SNP’s constitution secretary Angus Robertson’s comments that a second independence referendum could be held as early as October 2023.