LONDON - Lawmakers from the
Scottish National Party (SNP) walked out of the British
parliament on Wednesday to protest what they say is Scotland's
voice being ignored over Brexit.
The SNP's Ian Blackford was thrown out of the chamber by the
speaker of parliament because he refused to sit down after
demanding a new debate on Scotland and Brexit. Opponents said
the move was planned well in advance, taking place during prime
minister's questions, the highlight of the parliamentary week.
Blackford was followed by the rest of the SNP's 35
lawmakers. He told the BBC later that the government was rolling
over Scotland to get legislation intended to provide Britain a
legal framework once it leaves the European Union.
"Let's be under no illusion - this is a constitutional
crisis," he said.
The SNP says it will now seek to build a new power-sharing
deal for Scotland, Brexit minister Michael Russell told Reuters.
Such a complex endeavour is bound to complicate the agenda of
Prime Minister Theresa May as she tries to negotiate Brexit.
Differences over Brexit have strained relations between the
United Kingdom's four nations. Scotland and Northern Ireland
voted to stay in the EU in a 2016 referendum, while Wales and
England vote to leave.
On Tuesday, British lawmakers voted to push through Brexit
legislation that included measures affecting Scotland such as
agriculture and fisheries. But Scotland's devolved parliament,
Holyrood, had rejected those measures last month with the
backing of all parties save the Scottish Conservatives.
May told parliament that most areas of responsibility that
Holyrood has now will continue after Brexit, and accused the SNP
of stoking grievance.
Most Scottish lawmakers are unhappy at a clause in the EU
withdrawal bill that temporarily restricts the Scottish,
Northern Irish and Welsh assembly's powers, leaving them in the
hands of the UK government while the rules governing Britain
after Brexit are redrawn.
Scots are unhappy that it is unclear when those powers -
over agriculture, fisheries and food labelling - will be given
back, potentially tying Holyrood's hands for years. The SNP
calls it a "power grab," something the UK government denies.
"I'm in favour of independence, but while devolution
continues to exist it can't operate like this. This is
essentially destroying it, refusing to accept the rights of the
parliament and refusing to accept its view," Michael Russell
told Reuters in a telephone interview.