ALEX Salmond has thrown his weight behind Ian Blackford's power-grab protest in the House of Commons.
Speaking exclusively to The National, the former First Minister said he was “totally supportive" of Blackford using parliamentary protocol to cause pandemonium at Prime Minister's Questions, over the "democratic outrage" that saw just 15 minutes allocated for Brexit and devolution on Tuesday night.
“Totally supportive of the SNP MPs," Salmond said.
"You must never let Westminster walk over Scotland with impunity, they will just keep on doing it.
"Most of Scottish opinion will say ‘about time’ that someone stands up for the country.”
During Prime Minister's Questions, after telling Theresa May that powers "that are enshrined under the Scotland Act 1998 [were] being grabbed back by this government," Blackford said he had no option but to invoke an archaic parliamentary procedure and ask that the Commons “now sits in private”.
Speaker John Bercow rejected the SNP MP's call, saying it was a discussion to be heard at the end of the session.
Blackford stood his ground, infuriating Bercow, who then threw him out, banning him from the chamber for the rest of the day.
In 1989, Salmond was given the boot and suspended for five days for interrupting Nigel Lawson’s budget to attack the poll tax and planned income tax cuts.
“This is an obscenity. The Chancellor cannot do this,” Salmond shouted, causing uproar on all sides of the house.
There was fury for about 20 minutes as MPs voted to suspend the young member for Banff and Buchan.
The Tories were furious because Salmond had the temerity to interrupt Lawson.
Labour were also furious, with Brian Wilson calling Salmond a “cretinous twit”.
According to David Torrance’s biography of the former First Minister, Labour’s fury was mostly because Salmond had spoiled their own planned stunt.
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