MPs miss England match as SNP forces Commons vote during game

MPs took to Twitter to voice their displeasure after the SNP forced a vote in the Commons during the England game.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford. Picture: TSPLSNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford. Picture: TSPL
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford. Picture: TSPL

The vote was forced by the SNP over estimate spending of government departments, something that does not usually involve a vote by MPs.

The move means that MPs have spent most of the evening in the voting lobbies rather than watching the England v Colombia match.

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Tory MP Bernard Jenkin went as far as to raise a point of order in the chamber, asking: “Madame Deputy Speaker, do you suppose the Scottish National Party would be calling so many divisions this evening if it was Scotland playing an important football match the evening?”

Deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing responded: “I appreciate the Honourable Gentleman’s point of order although it relates to the division, it’s not, of course, a point of order.

“I just have a fervent hope that one day Scotland will be playing an important football match.”

Other MPs took to Twitter to complain, including Nadine Dorries who said: “The Scots Nats calling one vote after another to keep English MPs from watching the football.”

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Tory MP Marcus Fysh tweeted a video of MPs watching the match with the division bells ringing, writing: “And then the Scots Nats call a Division... Boo.”

SNP MP for Glenrothes and Central Fife, Peter Grant, tweeted: “Thanks to impaccable timing of votes and points of order by @theSNP , the adjournment bells all over parliament rang at the very moment England scored. Tory whips, you have no idea how much influence we really have.”

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