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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Adam Robertson

Stephen Flynn rapped by Speaker for breaking Commons rule during PMQs

THE SNP’s Westminster leader was told off by the Speaker during PMQs for breaking a key Commons rule.

As he challenged Keir Starmer over his backing of the two-child cap, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle rapped Flynn for using a “prop”.

He was holding up a front page of the Daily Record showing former prime minister Gordon Brown telling Starmer to ditch the policy.

Flynn was speaking after Starmer suspended seven of his MPs for voting for an SNP amendment calling for the two-child cap to be scrapped. 

He said: "Just five days before the General Election in Scotland, on the front page of the Daily Record, Gordon Brown instructed voters to vote Labour to end child poverty. 

"Yet last night Labour MPs from Scotland were instructed to retain the two-child cap which forces children into poverty. So Prime Minister, what changed?"

Starmer started to reply saying he was glad to hear Gordon Brown mentioned because the last Labour government "lifted millions of children out of poverty".

The Labour leader was then interrupted by the Speaker however, who could be heard saying to Flynn: "Props are not allowed to be used. Never mind, put it down. We don't need anymore."

(Image: Lucy North/PA Wire)

Starmer (above) then continued speaking to say Labour have put a new taskforce in place to tackle child poverty. 

"I would just say this. Before he lectures everyone else, he should explain why, since the SNP came to power, there are 30,000 more children in poverty in Scotland," the Labour leader said. 

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