SNP MP John Nicholson Hits Out At 'Alienating' Westminster Customs

The SNP Aren't Done Just Yet Blasting Westminster's 'Alienating' Practices
|
Open Image Modal

Yet another Scottish MP has re-ignited the furore over parliamentary convention at Westminster.

The SNP's John Nicholson, who in May ousted Liberal DemocratJo Swinson, a former minister and advisor to David Cameron, admitted the party had "given up" on trying to bring applause into the Commons chamber but said it did still "feel like Hogwarts".

Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are permitted to clap in their own legislative chamber in Holyrood, but a group of SNP MPs last month received a stern telling off from Speaker John Bercow for not honouring parliamentary procedure by applauding a colleague.

In an interview on the BBC's Daily Politics, Nicholson added that despite his SNP colleagues being set to occupy 56 spaces on the Commons' green benches, he hoped they would never go "entirely native".

Open Image Modal

The new SNP intake pose in front of Big Ben

Asked by presenter Andrew Neil if SNP members had decided to stop applauding, Nicholson said: "I think we sort of have. I thought the applause was a good thing myself.

"I think MPs should try and behave normally, and normal people applaud - they don't make that weird grunting noise, that [incomprehensible braying].

"Do you know people who make that noise outside Westminster, Andrew?"

"I think when people watch TV they want parliament to be relevant. I think it's important not to become po-faced about it.

Open Image Modal

Blistering Bercow: The Speaker calls SNP MPs to order for clapping

"There are obviously traditions that are very charming, but there are other things that are a bit alienating to the ordinary viewer."

Nicholson blasted being told to substitute clapping for braying, saying: "It still feels a bit like Hogwarts, and I think for a lot of English Tory MPs who've moved seamlessly from boys' boarding school through to the city and then on into parliament it must seem entirely normal.

"I think it will always seem a little odd to us and I hope none of us go entirely native.

"Although none of us are aspiring for a seat in the House of Lords, so that will always make us a little bit different from Labour".

Nicholson's comments echo those of his colleagues, who have previously branded Commons procedures "ridiculous", a "shambles" and "antiquated".

One went so far as to criticise Westminster's voting system broadly, tweeting it was "17th Century processes applied to 16th Century model of democracy".

But this certainly isn't the first time an SNP MP has clashed with Commons culture.

Other Members from the new Scottish intake were reprimanded for rallying against Parliamentary procedure, first for photobombing Harriet Harman, then for posting selfies on their Twitter profiles, and finally for attempting to uproot veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner from his spot on the 'rebels bench'.

They even managed to cause a stir after Mhairi Black, the 20-year-old who ousted former shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander from his Scottish seat, was snapped eating a chip buttie.

We've got the definitive list of ways the new Scottish parliamentarians are defying, what one called, "eighteenth century" traditions.

SNP cause a stir at Westminster
Causing a kerfuffle: Clapping in the chamber(01 of06)
Open Image Modal
While clapping is not banned, it is traditionally something members do not do, and are scolded by the Speaker for. But that certainly hasn't deterred MPs from north of the border. All 56 of them broke into "rapturous applause" after one session, according to Glasgow North West's Carol Monaghan. Simon Burns, a Tory MP, said of one recent culprit clapper that their actions had been "totally unacceptable". Oo-er! (credit:PA)
Shocking standards: #SNPselfie(02 of06)
Open Image Modal
The Commons chamber played host to a smattering of selfies after the arrival of #Team56 (SNP MPs self-identifying twitter handle) but managed to cause quite a stir in the process. In between Roger Mullin posing for a photo "pretending to be prime minister" and snapping a quick shot with Kirsty Blackman and Neil Gray, he and other Scottish parliamentarians managed to upset a fair few of their fellow members. The picture perpetrators were allegedly told off for behaving like children. Oh dear!
Appalingly in attendance: Those pesky debaters(03 of06)
Open Image Modal
While these sorts of graphics are not always the best representation of how active or involved an MP is in fulfilling public office, you certainly can't criticise the SNP for their time given to scrutinising proposed bills. Those who decried the party for not having a mandate in Westminster should take heed of the fact that they seem the only large party left in Parliament up for a good old-fashioned verbal jousting.
Sickening seat stealing: Skinner ousted from his perch(04 of06)
Open Image Modal
One of Labour's longest serving MPs had a face-off with a rogue Scottish newbie and it certainly wasn't pretty... The SNP member Pete Wishart ousted Dennis Skinner from his space on the far-right of the so-called 'Rebels Bench', the closest an opposition MP can be to the Prime Minister without being in the shadow cabinet. But conniving Labourite Kevan Jones outflanked the Scot, RE-reserving Skinner's place during the daily evacuation for a police sniffer dog search at 1pm. "Wishart was furious," he claimed.
Scandalous sandwich choice: Chip butty causes uproar(05 of06)
Open Image Modal
Some media went into meltdown when Anne McLaughlin posted a picture of her rookie colleague, Mhairi Black, about to tuck into a hearty meal - none other than one of the nation's favourites, a chip butty. The Westminster and media establishments were well and truly shaken by the revelation that somebody in Westminster could be eating such a carb-heavy meal, it seems. Even the notion...
Preposterous photobombing: SNP park their tanks on Labour benches(06 of06)
Open Image Modal
In a bid to 'photobomb' acting leader of the opposition, Harriet Harman - and only on their first day - Mhairi Black and her party's colleagues took over Labour's usual places on the second row of benches. It caused quite a stir among indignant MPs, that opposition members were sitting - er... - on the opposition benches. So having ousted Labour from tens of seats in Scotland, the SNP added insult to injury by then expelling their rivals from the benches in Westminster. Oh dear...