Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of “scurrilous and malicious rumour-mongering” following her claims that the Labour leadership had persuaded its MPs to back Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal.

The First Minister spoke ahead of the Brexit deal vote in the Commons on Saturday, accusing Jeremy Corbyn of seeking to allow Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal to pass through Parliament ‘with a nod and a wink’.

Her comments came after the party made clear it would not remove the whip from MPs who vote for the agreement put forward by former Tory MP Sir Oliver Letwin, which withholds approval for the deal until the Withdrawal Act Implementation Bill is passed.

The Labour MP has now responded to these claims, saying: We won't be holding our breath for an apology for Nicola Sturgeon's scurrilous and malicious rumour-mongering." Pictures: John Devlin

The Commons voted in favour of the amendment by 322 to 306, majority 16, effectively cancelling the ‘meaningful vote’ on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, instead challenging the Prime Minister to obey a law requiring him to delay the UK’s 31 October exit date.

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Ahead of these events, Ms Sturgeon said she had a “suspicion” that Labour would “allow Boris Johnson to get his deal over the line tomorrow”.

She added: “I hope I'm wrong about that but I'm simply surmising from what I'm hearing; you know, piecing things together. It seems to me it is possible we have a situation where Labour have an official position of opposing this deal but are giving nods and winks to the so-called Labour rebels in the hope there's enough of them that allow it over the line."

Labour lashes back

Paul Sweeney, the Shadow Scotland Office Minister, has now responded to these claims, and told the The Herald: “We won't be holding our breath for an apology for Nicola Sturgeon's scurrilous and malicious rumour-mongering.

“Well done to the Labour whips for working so diligently to seal Boris Johnson's defeat.”

The Glasgow North East MP, highlighted that the SNP's "ulterior motive for suddenly chasing” a general election over a public vote was “driven by short-term party interest rather than the national interest to sort this issue out first”.

He added: “Stopping Brexit also undermines any claim [they have] to have a mandate for another referendum on independence.”

Mr Sweeney further noted that Labour would bring forward an amendment to hold a referendum on any deal

Scottish Labour MP accused Nicola Sturgeon of 'scurrilous and malicious rumour-mongering'