SNP claim to be Commons hardest working members

A POLITICAL row broke out yesterday when the SNP claimed to be the hardest-working party at Westminster in light of new figures showing they had made the most speeches in House of Commons’ debates.

The Nationalists’ Westminster leader, Alex Salmond, the MP for Banff and Buchan, also made the most contributions out of all 71 Scottish MPs.

According to the figures, the SNP’s five MPs made on average 46 contributions to debates between 13 November, 2002, and 20 November, 2003.

In second place, the Ulster Unionists averaged 35, followed by Plaid Cymru on 31. The Liberal Democrats averaged 29 contributions, while the government’s backbenchers made 29 on average.

A statement by the SNP’s Westminster group said: "The SNP pledged to speak for Scotland when we were elected - and that is what we are doing."

But a Labour spokesman attacked the Nationalists, claiming their voting record showed they were failing the people of Scotland.

He said: "The idea that you can measure how hard-working an MP is by the number of times they get on their feet in the House of Commons is wrong. The last time the SNP got to their feet, it was to vote against the interests of working people by voting against parts of the Employment Relations Bill."