After the first question was put to a Tory MP, chants could be heard from the opposition benches – where Alba’s representatives protested in favor of independence. The pair expressed anger that Johnson ruled out ordering Section 30 while the cabinet fell apart around him last week. A furious Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House, was seen angrily telling MPs to “shut up for a minute”. As the shouting continued, Hoyle then named two MPs – Neil Hanvey and Kenny MacAskill – and told the Sergeant of the House to escort them out of the House, however they appear to have left of their own accord. READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon slams Tory hopes after Nadhim Zahawi ‘jape’ MacAskill was heard trying to raise an issue on the procedure and appeared to say “we need a referendum”, before being drowned out by other MPs. Speaking on STV after PMQs, MacAskill said it was a “democratic outrage” that Scotland has a mandate for independence which the UK government refuses to honor. It comes after both Alba MPs wrote to Johnson, who argued that “Scotland’s voice will be heard” in the face of the disgraced Prime Minister’s continued veto of an Article 30 provision. As Johnson stood to answer his first question, he appeared to wave his hand at the opposition benches telling them to calm down. As the camera pans out, MacAskill can be seen standing on the benches behind the SNP members and pointing across the room. The shouting continued with Hoyle adding: “Order, Order, I say to the honorable gentleman that I will not tolerate such behaviour.” The House of Commons erupted in applause as Hoyle added: “If you want to get out, get out now, but if you stand again I will order you out, make up your mind. Either shut up or go away. Hanvey was named by Hoyle and told to leave the Commons “I’m warning the honorable member that if he…be quiet for a minute…give me the names please.” A member of staff next to Hoyle is then heard saying “take them out”. “I am now warning honorable members that if they resist complying with my order to stand down, I will be forced to name them both, which may result in their suspension from the House,” Hoyle added. “Kenny Mackaskill’s gone,” said an employee, before naming Neale Hanvey. Hoyle then told Sergeant at Orms to escort them out of the Commons, but moments later told Sergeant to “let them out”. READ MORE: It’s not Union, it’s subjugation. So what can we do about it? During the heated exchange, no SNP MP stood to intervene or object to Hanvey and MacAskill being asked to leave the chamber. In a statement round just two minutes after PMQs began, a letter signed by former SNP MPs Hanvey and MacAskill to Johnson was released. It says: “The decision you took, in the final days of your Prime Ministership, to suddenly reject the request for an Article 30 order that would have allowed a valid and legal independence referendum to be held is a blatant affront to Scottish democracy and the people of Scotland.” . They added: “As a self-styled ‘Union Minister’ you must recognize that this Union is voluntary and was intended to be a union of equals, as such it can only be maintained with the consent of the people of Scotland. . MacAskill was also told to leave the speaker “You must be in no doubt that holding Scottish democracy hostage is something that the people of Scotland will not tolerate.” The letter added that Scotland “will not be held hostage” to a Union “completely disconnected from the needs, realities and aspirations of its people”. They added: “We urge you once again to honor the Scottish Government’s existing mandate to hold an authorized and legitimate referendum on Scottish independence, but put you and your successor on notice that refusing to respect Scottish democracy is not a defense or viable position for the UK. Government. “The people of Scotland and their elected representatives will continue to assert their democratic rights through popular protests and ongoing parliamentary initiatives. The issue of Scottish sovereignty will not be contested and the people of Scotland will ultimately prevail.” Later in the day, Alba leader Alex Salmond backed his two MPs. He said: “It is unacceptable that what Scots democratically voted for last year should be undemocratically blocked this year. READ MORE: Who made it through to the second round of the Tory leadership contest? See the list “As long as this veto remains in place, Johnson and his Tory successor must face both parliamentary interference in Westminster and popular protest in Scotland. “All MPs who support Independence should be prepared to stand with Neale Hanvey and Kenny MacAskill and indeed be prepared to play Parnell with Westminster until Scotland’s national rights are respected.” Charles Stuart Parnell was an Irish nationalist politician who led the Home Rule movement with a calculated policy of obstruction in the Commons. SNP MP Joanna Cherry, a former colleague of the pair, took to Twitter to draw a comparison between the angry reactions to their demonstration and the relaxed approach to the Prime Minister’s lies in the Commons. “Whatever you think of @eastlothianmp & @JNHanvey’s interventions at #PMQs, the backlash & outrage at them stands in stark contrast to the seeming inaction in the face of the PM’s repeated lies in the despatch box,” He wrote. One Alba supporter wrote online: “So proud that at least two Scottish MPs are determined to make Scotland’s voice heard. “The speaker’s reaction was comical – and he had to keep asking their names – he didn’t even know them. What does that say about Scotland’s place in the UK?”
