The Scottish Government has been compared to Boris Johnson “trampling over democracy” by refusing to scrap national tests for five-year-old pupils.

Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie pointed out it has been a year since MSPs voted to end the controversial P1 tests but they are still being carried out.

Speaking at First Minister’s Questions, Mr Rennie accused the Scottish Government of ignoring the decision and urged Nicola Sturgeon to order the scrapping of the tests.

Mr Rennie asked: “Since then, the Scottish Government has ordered tests for another 50,000 Primary 1 pupils.

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“Why has the First Minister allowed that, in the face of the clear vote of Scotland’s Parliament?”

Ms Sturgeon defended her Government for persisting with the assessments, arguing it has acted in the “right and proper way” by ordering an independent review of the testing and publishing the findings.

“I think that the assessments we have in place in our schools are proportionate and right,” Ms Sturgeon said.

“This is part of the process of making sure we have the information that allows us to determine whether our education system is delivering for the young people it serves.”

Comparing the move to the Prime Minister’s suspending Parliament in Westminster, Mr Rennie said: “So when Boris Johnson tramples over parliamentary democracy, the First Minister is outraged.

“When her Education Secretary does exactly the same, she pats him on the back.

“But it isn’t just Parliament, teachers are being snubbed too,” he claimed, citing criticism from teachers saying that the tests were “a logistical nightmare, cause a lot of stress to pupils and were a waste of time”.

Mr Rennie concluded: “Experts are against the tests, teachers have spoken out against the tests, Parliament voted against the tests.

“I know he’s not having a good day but will the First Minister finally listen and tell John Swinney he’s got to scrap the tests?”

Referencing the review, the First Minister replied: “It’s absolute nonsense to suggest that David Reedy’s report provided anything other than a clear recommendation that P1 assessments should continue.”

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Speaking after FMQs, Mr Rennie said “their reviews have been whitewashes”.

He added: “It speaks extremely poorly of her Government that they have chosen to fly in the face of a clear parliamentary vote.

“This is devious and damaging behaviour from the SNP. Teachers are clear that the SNP’s national tests for P1s tell them nothing they do not already know.

“They are exasperated by what a waste of time they are. The SNP should scrap the tests before another year of P1 pupils have to go through them.”