Snp

The SNP may finally be having an effect on Westminster's rules and traditions. Ever since the 56 SNP MPs descended on Parliament they have been repeatedly told off by the Speaker of the Commons for breaking tradition by clapping in the Chamber: 'The convention that we do not clap in this Chamber is very, very long established and widely respected, and it would be appreciated if Members showed some respect for that convention.' Despite this, the SNP MPs have shown little regard for the rule, even going so far as to applaud Simon Burns after he told them it was against Westminster etiquette to clap. Now the tide may be turning in favour of the Scottish Nationalists.

In an interview with Sky News Australia, David Cameron's former election strategist Lynton Crosby has today offered his thoughts on the Prime Minister's rivals. Unsurprisingly, his conclusions are hardly flattering. However, the man who has taken the brunt of Crosby's ire is Nigel Farage. Crosby claims that Ukip does not have 'a long-term future'. Furthermore, instead of trying to win a Westminster seat again, Farage would be better advised to look for chat show work in Australia: 'They are very reliant on the performance of their leader Nigel Farage and even he couldn't win a seat. Sixth or seventh time he's tried to win a Westminster seat. I think he might be better coming to Australia and doing talkback radio than trying to run another seat in the UK.

Although Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to tackle her party's 'cybernats' over the online abuse of those who do not support Scottish independence, the SNP leader may need to reassess her current efforts following this weekend's events. After news broke that Michelle Mone is to be awarded a peerage by the Tories, the lingerie entrepreneur was besieged with insults online from SNP supporters. However, the 'cybernats' were not done there. Following the death of Cilla Black at the age of 72, while many rushed to tweet messages of condolence to her friends and family, others simply recalled the late singer's support of the Better Together campaign -- during which Black signed a letter urging Scotland to remain in the UK: https://twitter.

All political parties have their cultish moments but some are more cultish than others. That doesn't mean all their supporters are kool-aid drinkers, just that, on balance, they're more likely to be so. This is not, I should have thought, a particularly novel or controversial observation. But, for some reason, suggesting that the SNP's followers are especially likely to be animated by what one might dub a quasi-religious fervour seems to annoy them. And yet, at other moments, they are keen to point out how the SNP is different from all the other parties. Which is kind of my point too. And, yes, the SNP's supporters really do behave in different ways. They are twice as likely as Labour or Conservative voters to view criticism of the party as a personal insult.

Imagine, for a moment, the following scenario. In 2016 Britain votes narrowly to remain within the European Union, despite the Prime Minister having achieved little in attempting to renegotiate the terms of our membership. The ‘out’ campaign — which was no longer led by a marginal party, Ukip, but by the majority of the parliamentary Labour party, under its new leader Jeremy Corbyn — came mightily close to securing our withdrawal, and thus, as it is put by proponents, our independence.

So here we go again. Alex Salmond, popping up on the Andrew Marr show while Nicola Sturgeon is in China, makes news without saying anything new about the circumstances in which the SNP might - or might not! - press for a second referendum on Scottish independence. David Cameron, also overseas, responds saying there's no need for any such plebiscite at any point in this parliament. Calm down, Jock. This will, I am sure, be well-received. All of which should surprise precisely no-one. Seventy percent of SNP supporters want another referendum before the end of this parliament; 90 percent want one within ten years. In such circumstances, you can understand why Salmond thinks another referendum is 'inevitable'.

He once said that the independence referendum was a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity but Alex Salmond has brushed aside any illusions that the SNP are not desperately hoping, and planning, for a second vote. On the Andrew Marr Show, Salmond said that another referendum is ‘inevitable’ and the only question is of timing — something he said is ‘very much in the hands of Nicola Sturgeon’. Salmond went on to explain three criteria that could be used to show ‘material change in circumstances’ for Scotland and thus trigger another referendum: ‘I can see three issues which are moving things towards a second referendum on a timescale yet to be determined. One is the refusal to deliver The Vow.

No one can deny that the SNP has made Westminster pay more attention to Scotland. Five years ago, it was surprising—and, in many ways, shocking—how uninformed most MPs were of what was happening in Scottish politics. That is one of the reasons why the independence referendum was treated as a second-order issue - until people realised quite how close it was going to be. But that has all changed now with the 56 SNP MPs making their presence felt in the Chamber. This is particularly true of Downing Street because with Angus Robertson having two questions at PMQs each week, David Cameron—who prepares assiduously for these sessions—needs to know what is making news in Scotland and what the record of the SNP government up there is on various issues.

Last week the SNP MP Mhairi Black gave her maiden speech to Parliament. The young politician inspired the nation with her story of a man in her constituency who came to her crying after a trip to the job centre went wrong: 'I said to him “how did you get on?” And without saying a word he burst into tears. That grown man standing in front of a 20-year-old crying his eyes out.' The clip went viral, amassing millions of views worldwide, with Black's words highly commended by both SNP and Labour politicians alike. So much so that their were whispers of concern at Labour HQ that it could trigger certain members of the party to lurch even further to the left.

In 2008 Alex Salmond told Total Politics that: 'As you know, by choice, SNP MPs have abstained from every vote on English legislation that does not have an immediate Scottish consequence. If you're asking me should people in England be able to run their own health service or education system, my answer is yes. They should be able to do it without the bossy interference of Scots Labour MPs. We had this in reverse through the 1980s.' A year earlier, Angus Robertson, MP for Moray, had asked the Prime Minister if he agreed it was 'completely iniquitous' that English MPs 'are not able to decide on matters in Scotland but Scottish MPs from the UK parties can vote on matters which only impact on England. Why does he not join the SNP in abstaining on these issues?