THE SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford has defended himself from critics who complained he was not dressed appropriately at the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall.

Blackford wore a kilt and a black dinner jacket when he lay a wreath at the annual commemoration event in London.

His attire prompted Tory MSP Murdo Fraser to comment negatively, comparing Blackford less favourably to his predecessor Angus Robertson.

“Say what you like about Angus Robertson, but I don’t remember him ever appearing at the Cenotaph to lay a wreath wearing a dinner jacket,” Fraser tweeted.

Blackford yesterday responded that along with his kilt he was wearing a dinner jacket that had been approved by officials organising the service.

“The reason I wore the jacket I wore was that I was told by the authorities to wear it. I pointed out to them that normally in Scotland you would wear a tweed jacket with your kilt, which in my case is dark green,” he told The National.

“I was told that that was not appropriate, that I had to wear my black jacket. [When I said] that would be normal evening wear, I was told that’s exactly what I should do.”

To critics who also attacked his decision to wear a kilt, he said: “Over the last few years I have gone to Remembrance Services and I have always worn a kilt – many people do. Soldiers went to war in a kilt.”

Journalist Kenny Farquharson came to Blackford’s defence: “Bizarre people are slagging off @IanBlackfordMP for wearing the kilt at Cenotaph, given the long and celebrated history of kilted Scottish soldiers in the British army.”

Blackford joined Prince Charles, Prime Minister Theresa May, and UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at the Cenotaph on Sunday.

In Scotland, the First Minister laid a wreath as remembrance services took place across the country.

Her wreath was one of more than 100 laid at the Stone of Remembrance outside the City Chambers in Edinburgh at a memorial event organised by veterans charity Legion Scotland.

Anne Blair, the widow of the highest ranking soldier killed by the IRA, and her daughter Alexandra Nevill also laid tributes.

Lieutenant Colonel David Blair was one of 18 soldiers killed by an IRA bomb at Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland, on August 27 1979.

Blackford attended the ceremony at the Cenotaph to mark the occasion on behalf of the SNP and Plaid Cymru. His wreath bore the words “Lest we forget” in English, Gaelic and Welsh.

Last night a spokeswoman for the UK Government’s Department for Media, Culture and Sport, which organised the wreath-laying at the Cenotaph, said men attending the service were advised to wear dark clothing.