Penny Mordaunt’s SNP jibes show a ‘dislike of Scotland’, Deidre Brock claims

The Commons leader makes weekly digs at the SNP during business questions.

Penny Mordaunt’s weekly jibes about the SNP in exchanges with Deidre Brock during business questions have become a regular feature of the Westminster week.

Ms Mordaunt has frequently gone viral with her responses, having delivered a “12 days of misery” speech about the SNP at Christmas, claimed Scotland was plagued by rats, and compared the Scottish Government to the Glasgow Wonka experience.

Ms Brock, however, appears to have had enough, accusing the Commons Leader or a “dislike of Scotland”, and coming prepared with jokes and answers to questions she “didn’t ask”.

Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt. Photo: James Manning/PA Wire

Ms Mordaunt has frequently gone viral with her responses during business questions, having delivered a “12 days of misery” speech about the SNP at Christmas, claimed Scotland was plagued by rats, and compared the Scottish Government to the Glasgow Wonka experience.

The Edinburgh North and Leith MP claimed Ms Mordaunt had one eye on the Tory leadership.

She said: “I have been pressing her on a few things, and the variety of questions are usually swerved for this pre-prepared script she does.

“It’s slightly odd as she's always prepared answers to questions I haven’t asked, and doesn’t answer the ones I have asked. That does seem to be par the course for Tory leaders, they seem to have given up making any semblance of effort.

“Last week for example she started going on about how I must hate her which is silly, she knows that, then a clumsy segway into the hate crime bill that the Scottish Government is bringing forward. It’s the same schtick every week.

“Most people in Scotland seem to know her now for what seems to be a dislike of Scotland, and a dislike of the people of Scotland. She says the criticism is of the SNP but I think she's missing the mark. For example, comments about Scotland being full of rats and Victorian diseases has not gone down very well.”

The SNP frontbencher described the digs as “frustrating”. She said: “I don’t want everyone to think it’s just a game, because it’s important to represent Scotland and voice the concerns on our constituents behalf”.

On leadership rumours, she added: “She does seem to be present a lot more in the tea room. We shall wait and see what happens. I raise serious topics but she's using it as an excuse to publicise herself.

“She does appeal to some members of the public, but I've never understood her approach to Scotland.

“We’ll have to see, there’s Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugenhadt is starting to pop his head up again, then there is Suella Braverman.”

A source close to Ms Mordaunt said: “Misinterpreting Penny’s criticism of the SNP as an attack on Scotland could not be further from the truth.

"On the contrary, the verve with which she bashes the SNP each Thursday comes primarily from her love for Scotland and her pride in our great union.

“Her criticism is aimed squarely at the policies and actions of the SNP who, through their wasteful mismanagement and inept leadership, are doing the people of Scotland a great disservice. If Deidre Brock redirected her attention from Penny’s statements to actual governance, Scots might be somewhat better off!”.