MICHAEL Gove claimed SNP MPs appeared to be auditioning for the Alex Salmond Show as he traded fish puns with his Scottish rivals.
The Environment Secretary faced a barrage of criticism in the Commons for the Government's Brexit approach to fisheries, with the SNP's Brendan O'Hara (Argyll and Bute) suggesting Scottish Tories looked as if they had been "done up like a kipper" over the issue.
Mr Gove, in his reply, said: "Listening once again to another Scottish National Party spokesman denying the reality of their adherence to the Common Fisheries Policy, and also attempting to cover it up with a weak pun.
"I felt that what I was witnessing was yet another audition for someone to appear on Alex Salmond's RT.com talkshow - a combination of bad taste and poor humour exhibited by so many on those benches."
Mr Gove took aim at former SNP leader Mr Salmond, who was replaced by Nicola Sturgeon, after a series of attacks mixed with puns emerged from the opposition benches.
SNP MP Pete Wishart (Perth and North Perthshire) earlier said: "What a load of codswallop from a secretary of state who is all out at sea on this issue.
"And they will never ever be trusted ever again by the Scottish fisherman.
"He drew a red line with leader of the Scottish Conservatives - that red line has gone quicker, hook, line and sinker.
"Can he just save us the time and tell us what is the next betrayal the Scottish fisherman can expect from his Government?"
SNP Drew Hendry (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey) also said: "Isn't it time (Mr Gove) and his Scottish Tory sprats were also discarded?"
Mr Gove replied that he had noticed more mentions of Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson and "more bad puns" than mention of science and economics.
He added: "The Scottish National Party will have to do better than name-calling and joke-making if it's ever going to be taken seriously as a defender of the interests of Scottish fishermen."
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