A SCOTTISH Labour MP had to be stopped by the Speaker after he used his chance to speak at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) to list the UK Government policies rather than ask a question.
Douglas McAllister, the Labour MP for West Dunbartonshire, was one of just 18 parliamentarians who was given the opportunity to ask a question of the Deputy Prime Minister in the Commons on Wednesday.
However, rather than raise any of his constituents’ concerns, McAllister used his time to say: “This week marks the second anniversary of our Labour government and two years on – yeah, two years on – my West Dunbartonshire constituents now enjoy greater rights at work.
“Thousands of workers are now better off thanks to increases in national minimum wage. Thousands of children lifted out of poverty. Tens of millions of pounds in pride in place funding to communities previously left behind. Shipbuilding on the Clyde secured with the Norwegian naval deal. Billions of pounds of investment in Faslane. As well as a new youth hub set to open …”
Speaker Lindsay Hoyle had to cut in to ask McAllister to stop.
MPs could be heard to laugh as David Lammy, who was filling in for Prime Minister Keir Starmer while he attends a Nato summit, then responded: “Well, can I commend my honourable friend for the difference that he's made, including his hard work to bring pride of place funding to his constituency.”
“He lists an amazing record in two years, and we've got three more to go,” Lammy added.
Last April, analysis by The National found that Scottish Labour MPs had used more of their questions at PMQs to ask about policy areas devolved to Holyrood than they had to ask about UK Government-controlled issues.
The SNP said at the time that the findings showed Scottish Labour MPs were “nodding dogs” more focused on winning UK Government jobs than standing up for their constituents.
“This just sums up Scottish Labour – Scotland as an afterthought to these backbench drones, reduced to competing to see who can ask the most supine question in the desperate hope one of their London whips might just notice them in time for that next cabinet reshuffle,” the SNP’s depute Westminster leader Pete Wishart said.
