Michael Gove ridiculed by SNP MPs after debating Scottish independence in Parliament with flies undone

The former justice secretary was passed a note warning him of the wardrobe malfunction

Michael Gove giving a speech at Westminster Hall on 6 September (Parliamentlivetv)

Michael Gove has been ridiculed by MPs during a heated debate on Scottish independence after giving a speech with his flies undone.

The former justice secretary, who lost his place in the cabinet after unsuccessfully running to succeed David Cameron as Conservative Party leader, was attacking the Scottish National Party (SNP) when his opponents spotted the slip.

Giggles swept around Westminster Hall on Tuesday, with some MPs struggling to keep straight faces, before Mr Gove was handed a note warning him over the wardrobe malfunction.

“We were meant to get Gove unplugged, but what we got was Gove unzipped,” one MP told the Scottish Daily Record.

The former justice secretary had accused the Scottish National Party (SNP) of ignoring fresh powers to manoeuvre towards another independence referendum following the vote for Brexit.

The prominent Leave campaigner, who was born in Scotland and grew up in Aberdeen, questioned the SNP's record on education and suggested suggesting the party's focus was on “a generation of grievance and the creation of division”.

Nicola Sturgeon’s MPs demanded a fresh look at the Scottish constitution in light of the vote to leave the EU, saying Britain’s impending departure was grounds for another vote.

But Mr Gove accused the nationalist party of acting against Scotland’s “best interests”, adding: “The SNP says the Scottish people can decide on any constitution they like - provided they choose independence.

"Powers that existed before the vote and the Scotland Act was passed, and powers that are now conferred on Holyrood, are not being used by the Scottish government.

"A focus on the constitution, a generation of grievance and the creation of division trumps the cause of good government.”

Patrick Grady, the SNP MP for Glasgow North, defended the his party's record, saying hundreds of millions of pounds of investment was planned in education and healthcare.

He added that “none of the promises had been kept” from the Scottish referendum campaign to ensure more powers would pass to Holyrood.

“Brexit means the UK will leave the European Union, but that is not what people in Scotland voted for either in 2014 or 2016,” said Mr Grady.

“The Scottish government and the Scottish Parliament must ultimately reserve the right to hold another referendum on independence for Scotland, if it becomes clear that the best or only way for Scotland to remain in the EU is for Scotland to become an independent member.”

Additional reporting by PA