John Bercow: SNP MPs 'good parliamentarians'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-33901805

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The Speaker in the House of Commons has said many of the SNP's 56 MPs were "already proving to be very good parliamentarians".

John Bercow said the SNP members deserved respect for the way they turned up in large numbers to support each other in the chamber.

But he said he did not believe the party had yet changed the parliament.

Mr Bercow was speaking at an the Edinburgh Festival Fringe organised by Edinburgh University's business school.

The SNP won 50% of Scottish votes in the general election to secure an unprecedented 56 of the country's 59 Westminster seats.

Asked how the Scottish nationalists - who now form the third largest party in the Commons - have changed the parliament, the Speaker said: "The significant thing is not how the SNP have changed parliament, because I don't think yet that they have.

"I think the significant thing is that, whatever you think of the SNP, their parliamentary party has said something very significant by its behaviour since May about group solidarity.

"They turn up in large numbers, they turn up very regularly, they turn up to support each other and a lot of them are already proving to be very good parliamentarians.

"It's not for me to support the SNP or oppose the SNP and I wouldn't dream of doing so, but I'm simply saying respect where it's due."

Mr Bercow said Nicola Sturgeon's party had scored a "notable political victory" when it was credited with forcing the Conservatives to shelve plans to water down the hunting ban in England and Wales.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Mr Bercow also indicated that the House could change its stance on applause within the chamber if MPs so wished.

In May, the Speaker told SNP MPs to stop clapping during a response from the party's Westminster leader Angus Robertson to the Queen's Speech.

Asked why they were not allowed to applaud, Mr Bercow said: "I think my attitude to that is if the House wants to change its procedures, it can, if they vote to do so."