SNP MP's Twitter Outburst Sparks Controversy Over Dignity of Parliamentary Session

Strategic Insights -

Tensions erupted in the House of Commons earlier this week when Pete Wishart, an SNP MP, took to Twitter to express boredom during Prime Minister's Questions, just moments after 37 British soldiers were honored with a minute's silence and their names read out. The move was met with criticism from Labour MPs, who accused Wishart of displaying "disturbing immaturity." Wishart claimed his comments were aimed at the lack of discussion on parliamentary expenses, but his statement did little to quell the outrage.

Key Takeaways:

  • Pete Wishart, an SNP MP, sparked controversy when he tweeted "Thought it would have been a more interesting PMQs first day back. Yawn..!" moments after the names of 37 British soldiers were read out in honor of their sacrifice.
  • Wishart's comments were met with criticism from Labour MPs, who accused him of displaying "disturbing immaturity" and being out of touch with the people of Scotland.
  • Wishart claimed his comments were in reference to the lack of discussion on parliamentary expenses, but his statement did little to quell the outrage.
  • Ian Davidson, Labour MP for Glasgow South West, said Wishart displayed a "disturbing level of immaturity" and that "the dead deserve our respect. They died serving our country."
  • A spokeswoman for the SNP defended Wishart, stating that his comments were not disrespectfu to forces families and that he represented a Black Watch constituency and sat silently and somberly during the tribute to the fallen soldiers.

Statistics:

  • 37 British soldiers were honored with a minute's silence and their names read out in the House of Commons earlier this week.
  • It took more than two minutes for Prime Minister Gordon Brown to read out all the names of the fallen soldiers.
  • Scottish soldier Sergeant Michael Lockett was amongst the 37 men who perished in Afghanistan.
  • Lockett's funeral was held yesterday in Glasgow.

Sources:

  • BBC News: "SNP MP criticised for 'boring' tweet on soldiers' deaths"
  • The Herald: "SNP MP under fire over 'immature' tweet on forces deaths"
  • The Scotsman: "SNP MP accused of disrespect to forces families with 'boring' tweet"