SNP accused of Brexit hypocrisy as nationalist politicians 'vote for no deal'

The SNP was accused of placing “narrow nationalism above the national interest” as separatist parliamentarians voted against a trade deal with Europe.

At both Westminster and Holyrood, both recalled for emergency sessions on Wednesday, Scottish nationalists were accused of hypocrisy after repeatedly issuing warnings of dire consequences of leaving the EU without a trade agreement only to refuse to back one when it was secured.

However, in angry exchanges, Nicola Sturgeon insisted she would refuse to support what she described as the “worst negotiating outcome in history” and claimed the "rotten" deal would leave the UK worse off in every way.

The Scottish Parliament voted to withhold consent for the deal on Wednesday, although the symbolic move makes no difference to its adoption.

Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader at Holyrood, quoted several occasions in which the First Minister had warned against a no deal and accused her of “contortions” to justify voting against it.

“Nicola Sturgeon said that her party, her government, would do anything, work with anyone, to get a deal,” Ms Davidson said. “When a deal is presented, backed by the EU, Scotland’s businesses and will stop the no deal she wants to avoid at all costs, what does she do?

“She orders her troops into the Westmister lobbies carrying the no deal Nicola banners high. The truth is for the SNP this was never about the substance of leaving the EU… this was always solely about weaponising the referendum result to widen the divisions on which they thrive.”

At Holyrood, only the Tories voted to back the trade deal, with a motion in favour of withholding consent passing by 94 votes to 30. The UK Government is free to ignore the motion.

At Westminster, Michael Gove, the cabinet office minister, described the SNP’s approach as “inconsistent and incoherent”, and claimed nationalists were “prisoners of a separatist ideology that puts their narrow nationalism ahead of our national interests.”

However, Ms Sturgeon said it was right to vote "on principle" against a "rotten Brexit that Scotland has rejected all along".

She said the trade deal "has no benefits, only massive downsides".

She added: "This Bill will pass regardless of how Scotland's MPs vote because that's what the Westminster establishment has decided.

"The fact is, Scotland's voice has been ignored on Brexit all along, every single step of the way.

"But the real disgrace of the Tory position is the notion that lies at the heart of it - that the best Scotland can ever hope for is a choice between a terrible outcome and an even worse outcome."

While the UK voted by 52 per cent to 48 in favour of leaving the EU in 2016, 62 per cent of voters in Scotland backed Remain.

Mike Russell, the SNP’s constitution spokesman, said Brexit had been driven by “prejudice, fuelled by tabloid newspapers, pandered to by the Conservatives.”