DAVID Mundell should resign after breaking his promise to stop the Tory government’s "blatant power grab" the SNP and Labour have claimed.

During Scottish Questions in the Commons,it was pointed out that Mundell's failure to amend the Brexit repeal Bill now meant Michelle Mone, 26 bishops, and Alan Sugar would have more "more say over Scotland's future" than any of the country's MPs.

It was the Secretary of State’s first appearance at the despatch box since he had promised parliament he would secure amendments to clause 11 of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill in December.

That clause means powers from the EU coming back to the UK, will automatically go straight to London rather than to the devolved assemblies - even if that power is in an area already devolved.

The controversial clause has proved politically unacceptable for the Welsh and Scottish governments, with Nicola Sturgeon and her counterpart in Cardiff, Carwyn Jones describing it as a blatant power grab.

Even Mundell's own MPs and colleagues in Holyrood are uneasy with it, with East Renfrewshire MP Paul Masterton describing it as "not fit for purpose".

But despite promises to amend and make the Bill more acceptable, the government did not, saying they had ran out of time, and instead promising that it would be changed in the House of Lords.

That was enough to win over Scottish Tory MPs, who last week voted to pass the Bill at its final stage in the Commons.

Mhairi Black asked the Minister: "What I'd like the minister to justify is how it can be okay that Michelle Mone and Alan Sugar are going to have more of an impact on this Bill than Scotland's members, some of which are on his own side."

Mundell replied: "The Bill will be debated, the clause amendment will be debated in the House of Lords. I regret that it's been brought forward in the House of Lords but we simply did not meet the timescale we aspired to.

"There will be further opportunities to debate that amendment in this House and, of course, the Scottish Parliament."

Fellow SNP MP Drew Hendry added: "This means Karren Brady, Sebastian Coe, Joan Bakewell and 26 Church of England bishops now have more say over Scotland's future than their elected MPs.

"Will he finally apologise for that sad state of affairs?"

Mundell told MPs that he took "full responsibility" for not meeting the timescale.

He added: "We are committed to amend the Bill and amend the Bill in agreement with the Scottish Government and a Welsh Assembly Government."

SNP shadow Commons leader Pete Wishart suggested Mundell should quit his job.

He said: "He has accepted full responsibility for not producing these amendments, is he now at a time to think about his own position?"

Mundell dismissed the question.

Afterwards, the MP said time was "running out for David Mundell."

He added: "He has accepted full responsibility - now he should reconsider his position.

“The Scottish Secretary has failed to adequately answer basic questions over his broken promise to protect devolved governments.

"It was extraordinary that he was hung out to dry by his colleague the Brexit Secretary.

“It is absolutely shambolic that Tory peers such as Michelle Mone, Karen Brady, and numerous Church of England bishops have more of a say over this legislation than elected MPs.

"David Mundell's inaction has threatened the powers of the Scottish Parliament."

A Scotland Office source dismissed the SNP politician's call: “Pete Wishart should consider how daft he sounds before he comes out with nonsense like this.

“His claims are ridiculous and he would be better advised to follow the constructive approach taken by his colleague Michael Russell.”

There were also questions over Keith Cochrane, the interim boss of crisis hit firm Carillion, who is also the lead non-executive director at the Scotland Office.

Last week Carillion went into liquidation with debts of more than £1bn and a £600m pension deficit.

Paul Sweeney, the Labour MP for Glasgow North East said: “It turns out that Mundell’s key adviser tasked with increasing awareness of devolution across government is none other than the interim chief executive of Carillion.

“Given the shambolic handling of [Brexit legislation] last week, how does the Secretary of State think that’s going?”

Mundell replied: “It is not correct to suggest that non-executive directors take policy decisions in relation to government departments.

“Keith Cochrane has done an excellent job as a non-executive director of the Scotland Office and I pay tribute to him as one of Scotland’s most respected businessmen.

“However, he has decided himself, in order not to become a distraction at a time of very important work for the Scotland Office, that he will step aside from his responsibilities until the investigation into Carillion and any subsequent enquiries are complete.”

As recently as Saturday the UK Government had insisted: “Mr Cochrane continues in his role with the Scotland Office.”

Cochrane is also an advisory council member of the pro-Union think tank These Islands.

Labour’s Shadow Scottish Secretary, Lesley Laird, also questioned Mundell’s judgement.

Speaking after Scottish Questions, she said: “David Mundell’s lack of judgment in appointing the interim chief executive of Carillion as an adviser is matched only by his failure to act decisively since reports of the relationship emerged.”

She added: “He was a passenger as the Tories’ flawed EU Withdrawal Bill juggernaut hurtled through the Commons and put the future of devolution in the hands of unelected peers. This week, rather than removing Mr Cochrane as an adviser, he has waited for his position to become untenable and for him to voluntarily stand aside.

“He has lost his grip on his department, his advisers and cannot even keep his band of Scottish Tory MPs content. Perhaps it is time for him to follow Mr Cochrane out of the door.”