MICHAEL Gove was caught out by the SNP in the Commons today after trying to deflect from a serious attack on his performance across the Brexit period.

The Cabinet Office minister's behaviour was compared to Bart Simpson by SNP MP Owen Thompson who suggested that, like the cartoon child, Gove simply says he "didn't do it", despite being the clear culprit.

Speaking in the Commons, the SNP representative for Midlothian said: “While the minister is telling Northern Ireland it can have the best of both worlds, he’s using the same reasoning to tell Scotland to shut up and get back in your box – all while claiming any negative impacts are not actually Brexit-related.

“Is it now the case the minister has become the Government’s very own Bart Simpson, causing chaos and presenting their agenda regardless of cost while claiming ‘I didn’t do it, nobody saw me do it, you can’t prove anything’?”

READ MORE: The Simpsons takes aim at shortbread tin Union-Jackery in new episode

An episode of season five of the popular cartoon saw Bart achieve fame with the catchphrase “I didn’t do it” – before his one-line routine eventually flopped as people grew tired of it.

In reply during the exchanges in the House of Commons, Gove highlighted the Simpsons' fictional Scottish school janitor – only to be told that Willie declared his support for Scottish independence at the 2014 referendum.

Aberdeen-born Gove said: “Well, I’ve always thought the Simpsons character I most remembered was Groundskeeper Willie because he’s an Aberdonian.”

SNP MP Alison Thewliss could be heard shouting: “He supports independence.”

Gove replied: “I’m not sure what his position is on independence, but as jannies (janitors) go, he’s one of the best.”

Incidentally, Gove is wrong that Groundskeeper Willie is from Aberdeen. The character said in a 2012 episode of the long-running US show: "I want to clear up one thing about me.

"Everyone thinks I’m from Edinburgh or Glasgow, and the truth is I’m from Kirkwall in Orkney."

In 2014, the Simpsons character declared both his support for independence and his intention to run for First Minister in a video released online.

Groundskeeper Willie said: "Both sides of this [independence] argument have valid points, both the freedom-loving heirs of the Highland tradition, and those who enjoy crawling like worms beneath British boots."

He later reveals he has "Aye or die!" written across chest, declaring: "That's not a tattoo, it's a birthmark."