SNP MPs stage a 'takeover' of Labour benches in the Commons during Finance Bill debate

After Labour MPs mostly abstained during the vote on welfare cuts, the SNP said they were the 'real opposition' to the government

SNP MPs can be seen sitting on the Labour benches during the 'takeover' (BBC Parliament)

Scottish National Party MPs have staged a 'takeover' of Labour benches in the House of Commons during the debate on the Government's Finance Bill, as part of their efforts to be seen as the 'real opposition' in the wake of Labour's abstention in the Welfare Bill vote.

The 'takeover' came the day after the 20 July vote on the government's Welfare Bill. Under direction from the Labour leadership, most Labour MPs did not vote against the core part of the Conservative budget, which will cut £12 billion of public spending on welfare.

48 Labour MPs, including leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn, chose to rebel against their party leaders and vote against the bill. The majority of abstainers received criticism from the SNP and many Labour supporters for their choice.

After the Welfare Bill vote, SNP MP for Perth and North Perthshire Pete Wishart jokingly asked Speaker John Bercow if the furniture in the commons could be rearranged to show that the SNP (who voted against the government's bill) were the "official opposition" of the government.

The SNP see themselves as the 'official opposition' of the government (BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

The day after, they took matters into their own hands, sitting on the benches normally reserved for the official opposition during a Tuesday evening debate on the Finance Bill.

Many SNP MPs sat on the front bench, close to the Speaker's chair, with other SNP members sitting behind them in the second and third rows - the benches where Labour MPs can always be seen sitting.

Raising a point of order with the speaker, SNP MP Angus MacNeil echoed Wishart's comments, saying the seating should be changed so that the "actual opposition sits in the right place."

During the Finance Bill debate, Labour MPs were again told to abstain, as they had been the day before. This meant that the Labour benches were almost entirely empty, and the SNP 'takeover' did not cause disruption to parliamentary proceedings.

Criticising Labour's abstention on both the Welfare and Finance Bills, both of which make up a key part of Conservative policy, SNP treausry spokesman Roger Mullin MP said: "If ever there was a Budget to oppose, it is this one."

"Yet despite voting against the last five Finance Bills at this stage, Labour abstained on this one - just as they failed to vote against the Tory welfare cuts on Monday night."

"It is a dereliction of responsibility by Labour - they have now abandoned any pretence of opposing the Tories, leaving the SNP as the real and effective opposition to this right-wing government."

Despite having previously described Conservative cuts to welfare as "unsupportable", Labour leadership contender Andy Burnham abstained during the Welfare Bill vote.

He said he abstained because he was "not prepared to split the party", and said Labour was "crying out for leadership".