SNP’s top MP brands Rishi Sunak 'a near billionaire' in combative first PMQ's

The SNP’s new Westminster leader resorted to class warfare in his first full day in the job on Wednesday by branding Rishi Sunak a “near billionaire”.

The day after he was elected leader, Stephen Flynn used his first Prime Minister’s Questions to highlight Mr Sunak’s wealth and warn him “he’s gonna have to up his game”.

An aggressive Mr Flynn, who boasted of his working-class roots when he announced his leadership bid, highlighted an STV poll showing support for independence has increased to 56 per cent.

He also lavished praise on Ian Blackford, his predecessor, as a “giant of the Scottish independence movement” despite scheming against him for months before successfully ousting him last week.

His tribute faced widespread mockery and heckling from the Tory benches, who demanded to know: “Why did you get rid of him then?”

Mr Flynn led the SNP at Prime Minister’s Questions only hours after he delivered a huge blow to Nicola Sturgeon’s authority by comfortably winning the race to be the new Westminster leader.

He defeated Alison Thewliss, a close confidante of Ms Sturgeon, who had said she had “no interest” in the Westminster group having more independence from the First Minister’s government.

In contrast, Mr Flynn is expected to demand she gives the Westminster group far more say over SNP policy and strategy. He also wants Ms Sturgeon to drop her opposition to new North Sea oil and gas fields.

Mhairi Black, an outspoken and controversial MP, was chosen as the SNP’s deputy leader at Westminster and sat next to Mr Flynn on the party’s front bench in the Commons.

The new leader, who only became an MP in 2019, used his first question to ask Mr Sunak: “What does he consider to be the greatest achievement of the Conservative Party in Government since 2019?

“Leaving the single market and customs union, ending freedom of movement, denying Scotland her democracy, or getting the Labour Party to agree with all of the above?”

The Prime Minister said he was most proud of overseeing Europe’s fastest Covid vaccine roll-out and protecting working people with furlough.

But Mr Flynn responded: “Far be it for me to offer advice for a near billionaire, but he’s going to have to up his game. And here’s why.”

Referring to the poll, he asked Mr Sunak whether energy bills rising would lead to independence support rising or falling, but the Prime Minister highlighted £55 billion of UK Government support for homeowners, saving the average household £900 this winter.

Mr Sunak said this was “an example of the United Kingdom and the Union delivering for people in Scotland”.

Ms Sturgeon has said she wants to use the next general election as a “de facto” independence referendum after the Supreme Court ruled she does not have the power to hold a separation vote.

She has claimed she would have a mandate to open divorce negotiations with the UK Government if nationalist parties win more than half the popular vote in Scotland. However, this has been rejected by Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Sunak.

The STV poll, conducted by Ipsos Mori, said 51 per cent of Scots likely to vote in the election would back the SNP, a seven-point rise since May. Backing for Labour was up two points to 25 per cent, while Tory support was down six points to 13 per cent.

If the next election was treated as a “de facto” referendum, it said 53 per cent would back the SNP and two per cent the Scottish Greens, meaning the two separatist parties would together have 55 per cent.

But only 35 per cent of Scots backed Ms Sturgeon’s plan to stage another separation vote next year. A further 34 per cent said it should be held at a later date and 26 per cent said there should never be another one.

Public trust in the SNP to tackle a range of issues facing Scotland has fallen in the last 18 months, including an 18-point drop in the Nationalists’ management of the NHS. The health service was also identified as the top issue facing Scotland.

Keith Brown, the SNP’s deputy leader, said: “This latest poll shows a clear majority of people support Scottish independence and the momentum behind Yes is rocketing.”