ALBA have criticised the SNP’s “bitterly disappointing” decision to leave the House of Commons as one of their MPs began a speech about energy in Scotland.
Kenny MacAskill, a former Scottish justice secretary and SNP MP who defected to Alba in 2021, was to speak at Westminster about the Eastern Link undersea cable.
The £3.4 billion infrastructure project will enable the deployment of offshore wind energy in the North Sea, according to energy regulator Ofgem.
MacAskill was to praise the “sensible project” as “one that everyone should support”, before asking where the benefit lies for ordinary Scots.
“But where’s the windfall for Scotland as a nation from this natural bounty?” he asked. “Where’s the wealth that should flow along with the energy from this vital resource?
“Where’s the benefit for those communities, such as my own in East Lothian, which will be able to see the turbines on their hills and off their shores.
“Scotland is energy rich, yet Scots are fuel poor.”
However, as deputy speaker Nigel Evans introduced the Alba MP, the SNP’s frontbench team stood up and walked out of the Chamber.
Key figures such as SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford, depute leader Kirsten Oswald, and shadow chancellor Alison Thewliss were seen standing up together and leaving the House.
Either this huge blunder is an incredibly poorly timed move, or it's a smack in the face to Scotland's cause and the unity of the broad and diverse Yes movement. SNP MP's need to remember that we sent them to Westminster to settle up, not to settle in. Country before Party. #YES pic.twitter.com/mAYU816Yot
— All Under One Banner (@AUOBNOW) October 26, 2022
Alba criticised the move, with a party spokesperson calling it “bitterly disappointing”.
They said: “As Westminster embarks on its latest robbery of Scotland’s natural resources you would think that all Scottish MPs would have filled the benches to take part in the debate.
“It is bitterly disappointing that despite sitting through speech after speech by those on the Government benches, they chose to walk out instead of taking part in a debate that actually matters to Scotland.”
Campaign group All Under One Banner also spoke out on Twitter. Sharing a video of the incident, AUOB wrote: “Either this huge blunder is an incredibly poorly timed move, or it's a smack in the face to Scotland's cause and the unity of the broad and diverse Yes movement.
“SNP MPs need to remember that we sent them to Westminster to settle up, not to settle in. Country before party,” the group posted.
The SNP have been approached for comment, however their most senior MP, Pete Wishart, has addressed the incident on Twitter.
Sharing images of tweets calling the MPs "bloody traitors" for having left the debate, Wishart wrote: "Just another night on Alba Twitter. This is just the last 24 hours…. But yet they ask ‘why won’t you stay and listen to us’?"
Responding to another user, Wishart added: "Even if we just set aside all the usual hate they dish on us it was an end of session 'adjournment debate' which usually involves only the member granted the debate and the replying Minister. No one attends them."
