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Stop playing political games Swinson, plead the SNP

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Jonathon Read

Published: 9:47 AM August 26, 2019 Updated: 8:41 AM September 18, 2020

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford in the House of Commons. Photograph: Parliament TV.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford in the House of Commons. Photograph: Parliament TV. - Credit: Archant

The Scottish Nationalist Party's Westminster leader has accused the Liberal Democrat leader of 'playing games' in the fight against a no-deal Brexit.

The Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson had written to Jeremy Corbyn claiming that his plan to put himself forward as a caretaker prime minister could jeopardise efforts to stop a no-deal Brexit because he does not have enough support in parliament.But the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford said that Jo Swinson is "playing games" and is calling on MPs to put their differences aside to work together.Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme he said: "It's not about whether or not Jeremy Corbyn has support, it's about the responsibilities we have as members of parliament."What we need to do is bring forward legislation and I'm disappointed that Jo is playing games like this."All of us have to work together - it's not about the individual, it's about making sure that we put in place legislation to stop no-deal."Blackford said the SNP would be ready to work with anyone in order to avert a no-deal scenario.He said: "We will work with anybody and everybody to stop this and it's not about who becomes prime minister in the short-term - in many respects we don't even need to do that."What we need to do is stop no-deal and we need to stop the damage that Boris Johnson will do."We need to bury our differences and we need to recognise the challenge that we face from someone that's prepared to take us out of the European Union on a no-deal basis."We all need to work together, that's what the public would expect from us. It's about protecting the interests of all our constituents from Brexit."He added MPs must move quickly on their return to the House of Commons in order to seize the order paper in a bid to take the option of a no-deal off the table."We need to reflect on the fact that Boris Johnson has become prime minister on the votes of Conservative members of parliament."He doesn't have a mandate from the voters and at no point has any party, and indeed in the referendum in 2016, was the proposition put forward that we would be leaving the European Union on a no-deal basis."He needs to be stopped and I'm appealing to parliamentarians this week to recognise the responsibility collectively that we've all got that when we get back to Parliament next week, we have to move fast."We are up against a government that are prepared to crash the bus and they must be stopped."

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