The SNP is now the only “real opposition” to the Tories at Westminster, Ian Blackford has claimed.
The Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP said the party would provide the “strong, united and focused opposition the country needs” after Labour and the Liberal Democrats were left reeling by a disastrous set of election results.
Mr Blackford, who yesterday welcomed 12 new MPs to the SNP fold at an event outside the gates of parliament, revealed the Scottish Government would send a letter to Boris Johnson requesting the power to hold a second independence referendum “in the coming days”.
Pressed on what the SNP would do if the prime minister rejected the demand, the SNP Westminster leader did not rule out court action.
“Look, we’ll wait and see”, he said.
“There is a letter, going from the Scottish Government that will contain robust arguments, we will take things from there.
“The point is that Boris Johnson has to respect democracy and has to respect to the Scottish Government.
“He stood specifically in Scotland on a ticket to say no to indyref and he lost, the SNP won the election.
“Let’s take it step by step, but we will win this argument, let there be no misunderstanding about this.”
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford arrives to applause pic.twitter.com/y3qwpUyWGA
— Dan O'Donoghue (@MrDanDonoghue) December 16, 2019
Mr Blackford did however rule out a suggestion by Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil that SNP MPs should resign their seats in protest if permission for a section 30 order is rejected.
Mr MacNeil believes forcing by-elections across Scotland could be a “plan b” route to establishing a mandate for independence.
Mr Blackford was less keen however, and said: “At the end of the day, we’ve been sent here to do a job, we’ve just had a mandate from the people of Scotland, I intend to make sure that we enforce that mandate.”
Asked if he now regretted working with the Lib Dems to bring about the election, given the UK wide result, Mr Blackford was bullish.
He said: “No, we’ve done our job in Scotland, we’ve won the election in Scotland. Of course we are leaving the European Union at the end of January as things stand and I regret that for everybody.
“I regret the fact that Boris Johnson has been elected throughout the United Kingdom, but that’s on the votes of people from other other parts of the UK.
“There are battles ahead to protect our economic interest, not least by making sure that we can extend transition, so there are many fights that we’re going to have.”
Mr Blackford said the SNP, who now have 47 MPs at Westminster and remain the third largest party, would act as “the real opposition”.
He said: “The SNP will fulfil the role of the strong, united and focused opposition the country needs – holding this extreme Tory government to account in the face of Brexit, austerity cuts, the threat to our NHS, and the climate crisis.
“With other parties subsumed by internal divisions and acrimony, the SNP will provide real and effective opposition – challenging Boris Johnson’s devastating plans every step of the way.”
