House of Commons votes on the Scottish Affairs Committee have caused a political stir in Parliament, with accusations of political game-playing on both sides of the aisle (February 21).

The motion, proposed by Sir Bill Wiggin MP, aimed to discharge Liz Twist and Jon Cruddas from the Scottish Affairs Committee and replace them with Andrew Western and Christine Jardine. The motion passed after a division vote.

Hereford and South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman voted "aye" along with the rest of the Conservative Party.

David Linden, Shadow SNP Spokesperson for Social Justice, opposed the motion, claiming that it showed the British Labour party’s inability to fulfil its obligations to the House. He criticized the party for being unable to even attend the Committee meetings and claimed that the Committee was a “sham” used to try and batter the SNP Government.

Thangam Debbonaire, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, defended the Labour party’s right to nominate Members for Select Committees and stated that they were making the nominations that they wished to be on the Committee. She noted that they had previously given a place to the SNP and questioned why the SNP was focusing on a row over who sits where when the Scottish NHS is in crisis and thousands of people in Scotland are forced to choose between heating and eating.

Alan Brown, Shadow SNP Spokesperson for Energy and Industrial Strategy, questioned how the Labour party knew what the people of Scotland really think when the two Labour members were not even participating in the Scottish Affairs Committee.

The debate caused a stir among MPs and raised questions about the role of the Scottish Affairs Committee and the ability of parties to fulfil their obligations to the House. The issue is likely to remain a topic of debate in the coming weeks.