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Watch: SNP politician grilled by Andrew Neil

Alyn Smith and Andrew Neil

SNP politicians often get an easy ride when they appear on politics programmes south of the border, where most of the discussion tends to revolve around the performance of the Westminster government.

Unfortunately, that was not the case for the SNP MP Alyn Smith, who appeared on the BBC’s Politics Live this afternoon. Near the end of the show, the politician received quite the grilling from Andrew Neil, who was appearing on the show as a guest for the final time.

Neil began by tearing apart the SNP’s woeful record on poverty and deprivation, after which Smith suggested the SNP needed more powers to solve Scotland’s problems. In response, Neil pointed out that the party was entirely in charge of education – and yet the attainment gap between rich and poor had widened during the SNP’s tenure.

Watch here:

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Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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