Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox have embarrassed the UK, says John Swinney

Deputy First Minister John Swinney - credit: David Anderson

Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox have embarrassed the UK, according to Deputy First Minister John Swinney.

Speaking at the SNP conference, Swinney claimed the Prime Minister was unable to control the Eurosceptic wing of the Conservative Party, saying “Theresa May is in office but it is already obvious that she is not in power”.

Referring to the morning after the Brexit vote, Swinney said: “While Boris and Gove panicked, Cameron resigned and Corbyn went missing, it was Nicola Sturgeon who rejected the xenophobia of Farage, reassured our EU friends here in Scotland and defended our relationship with Europe.”

He added: “Barely a day goes by that the three Brexiteers of Boris, Davies and Fox, do not embarrass the whole UK.

“Theresa May is in office but it is already obvious that she is not in power. A Remain voter – apparently – she is being driven by the Tory hard-right to a hard-Brexit just as David Cameron was driven to a referendum by those self-same hard-right Brexiteers in the first place.”

The deputy FM also attacked Labour’s stance on immigration, labelling it “pathetic”.

Swinney said: “When Amber Rudd announced her sinister list of foreign workers, Labour didn’t stand up in defiance. Instead their press office said the Tories had not gone far enough.

“Shame. Shame. Shame on the pathetic Labour Party.”

He added: “For as long as Kezia Dugdale insists on powers over immigration, Europe and all the rest remaining in London, Kezia shares the blame.

“I sat on the Smith commission. watched as Labour vetoed proposal after proposal from Linda Fabiani and from me to devolve power after power to Scotland. So, Kezia Dugdale, you may say it is not in your name, but I say it is at your hand.”

Swinney also used the speech to guarantee tuition fee funding for EU students who will begin studying in Scotland in 2017/18. Holyrood understands the funding will continue for the duration of the course.