SNP to table censure vote against Prime Minister Boris Johnson

The SNP is to table a motion of censure against the Prime Minister on Tuesday in a bid to act as “the real opposition”.

Westminster leader Ian Blackford revealed the move in an address to the party’s online conference on Sunday, in which he slammed the Prime Minister’s “omnibus of omnishambles”.

Referencing corruption, cuts to Universal Credit, Brexit and Mr Johnson’s speech to the CBI conference, Mr Blackford said the current situation is “deeply worrying”.

“In the absence of actions from others in holding this Prime Minister to account, it is once again our job to act as the real opposition,” he said.

Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

“On Tuesday, the SNP will use our opposition day to put down a motion of censure against this Prime Minister.

“Because unless this Prime Minister is censured, unless he faces consequences for his disastrous actions, he won’t just think he’s gotten away with the mess he has made of the last few months, he will think he can do it all over again.”

Mr Johnson is becoming “deeper and deeper out of his depth”, Mr Blackford said, and is now presiding over a “damaging and dangerous” governance of Downing Street.

A motion of censure is a rarely-used device, last tabled by Labour against Theresa May in December 2018.

Even if passed, the motion would not be able to bring down a government.

An independent Scotland is “now in sight”, Mr Blackford said, adding that the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow showcased the potential of Nicola Sturgeon as the leader of an independent Scotland.

"Independence is now the pathway to safety and stability – it offers an escape from the constant crisis of Westminster control,” he said.

“Built on the solid foundations of our own democratic decisions, independence offers the opportunity to build the post-pandemic future we all wish to see.

“The chance to build a new Scotland, that finally takes its natural place amongst the nations of the world.

“We got a brief glimpse of that when the representatives of those nations visited Glasgow earlier this month. Because we all know it was our First Minister who led the way at Cop 26.”

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