Penny Mordaunt has been branded the “minister for clickbait” by the SNP after she criticised the party in a video posted on social media.
SNP MP Deirdre Brock questioned if the Leader of the House of Commons was considering a new career as a stand-up comedian.
Ms Mordaunt said Ms Brock should be thanking her for the “publicity that money cannot buy” and said she was encouraged by the interest in business questions.
In the video posted to X, formerly Twitter, Ms Mordaunt is heard taunting Ms Brock and the SNP for misplacing a fragment of the Stone of Destiny.
However, the party said the stone chip has been held securely for the past 15 years and has never been considered lost.
Speaking from the frontbench on Thursday, Ms Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) said: “Once again I’m indebted to the Leader of the House, her eccentric video last week joking about tupperware and the Stone of Destiny excited quite the response in Scotland – why is she always on about Scotland they ask?
“The Tories have given us a joke minister for common sense, looks like we now have a minister for clickbait.
“Scotland does seem just a big joke for her, the brief seems clear to rubbish and insult Scots every week in business questions. Of course she’s not alone, it seems to be Tory policy these days.
“But she’s adding value now by writing full-page articles in the papers about how awful Scotland is, along with a new clickbait video every week, all that effort.
“Of course given the very bad news for her party in this week’s YouGov poll maybe these joke videos are in fact auditions.
“Perhaps not so much stand up and fight, as stand-up comedian.”
“Publicity that money cannot buy”
Ms Mordaunt replied: “The honourable lady should thank me, I’ve been giving the honourable lady publicity that money cannot buy.
“And I think it is encouraging that we have generated such a following, such an interest, in what goes on in this chamber at business questions.
“Let me be clear, I’m not talking Scotland down, I’m talking the SNP down, that have been an unmitigated disaster for Scotland.
“The stoicism of the Scottish people in dealing with the inept Government that they have in Scotland deserves great credit.”
Conservative MP for Tatton Esther McVey was handed the unofficial title of minister of common sense in November last year.