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Could The SNP Really Overturn 400 Years Of No Clapping Tradition In The Commons?

Could The SNP Really Overturn 400 Years Of No Clapping Tradition In The Commons?
Aubrey Allegretti
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Commons Speaker John Bercow speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London.
PA/PA Wire

The SNP's newest cohort of MPs could help push for the overturning of a centuries-old Westminster tradition, House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has suggested.

In a speech at the Edinburgh Festival, Bercow suggested that the 56 new parliamentarians from north of the border could call for a lift on the Chamber's applause ban, something they have previously been strongly rebuked for breaking.

MPs currently register their support or disapproval of statements in Parliament by either shouting "hear, hear!" or braying.

New Scottish Members have received slapdowns from Bercow and his deputies for ignoring this rule and clapping instead, a common custom in the devolved Scottish Parliament of Holyrood.

Asked why MPs were not allowed to applaud, Bercow told his audience: "I think my attitude to that is if the House wants to change its procedures, it can, if they vote to do so."

"The House doesn't like applause as a method of approval," he added, insisting that changes should not be made to rules hundreds of years old "on the hoof".

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Nicola Sturgeon's 56 new MPs have caused a stir in Westminster

Bercow made clear it was not up to him or the SNP to change the rules - but a decision for the entire house: "Could the House change the procedure and would I then be the servant of that new procedure? It could and I would."

Bercow also commended the new SNP MPs, calling them "very good parliamentarians".

"They turn up in large numbers, they turn up very regularly, they turn up to support each other and a lot of them are already proving to be very good parliamentarians," he said.

"I think the significant thing is that, whatever you think of the SNP, their parliamentary party has said something very significant by its behaviour since May about group solidarity.”

"It's not for me to support the SNP or oppose the SNP and I wouldn't dream of doing so, but I'm simply saying respect where it's due."

He went on to say there was an irony about the remarks, because SNP MPs were determined to secede from Britain.

But he added: "They are elected members of parliament and they have a duty to discharge on behalf of their constituents and in support of their principles and their party and that's what they're doing.

"They turn up very regularly and they turn up to powerful effect and I think that does deserve respect."

READ MORE:

Here's how the SNP have been shaking up Westminster since their election since May...

SNP cause a stir at Westminster
Causing a kerfuffle: Clapping in the chamber(01 of06)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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...
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