AN SNP MP has apologised after he was accused of making an "unfortunate hand gesture" at Douglas Ross in the Commons.

Tory MP John Lamont said Tommy Sheppard's alleged hand movement was "disrespectful" to the Scottish Conservative leader.

Lamont raised the issue as a point of order during a debate on the forthcoming Scottish Parliament elections and the country’s constitutional future.

He said: "On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I seek your guidance. After his intervention, the honourable member for Edinburgh East [Sheppard] made a very unfortunate hand gesture at my honourable friend the member for Moray [Ross] that I believe it to be disrespectful to my honourable friend but perhaps to other people watching this debate outside this place. I seek your guidance to that type of behaviour and whether it is acceptable."

Lamont did not specify what the alleged gesture was.

Deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing said: "I thank the honourable gentleman for his point of order. I caught that something had occurred, but I could not see what the honourable member for Edinburgh East [Sheppard] did with his hand.

"If he did make a gesture that is unbecoming of an honourable member of this place, I am sure he will apologise."

Sheppard said he had "no intention to make any gesture that would cause offence".

He added: "I was trying to indicate that the honourable gentleman had not given due consideration.

"I'm not sure what gesture, I was pointing to my head and saying 'think!'.

He said: "I do apologise if any offence was taken, it was not intended."

Later in the debate, Sheppard said a vote on independence will only take place once the pandemic is over.

He also said the phrase “once in a generation” was not a promise that the issue would “go away”.

His remarks came after the party’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford suggested that a vote on the issue could take place “as early as late 2021”.

The House of Commons also voted 369 to 55, majority 314, in favour of a motion amended by the Government which stated it would be “irresponsible” to hold a referendum during the Covid-19 pandemic.

READ MORE: SNP MP tells Tories no-one is calling for indyref2 to be held during pandemic

Speaking during a debate on the forthcoming Scottish Parliament elections and the country’s constitutional future, Sheppard told MPs: “Let’s be entirely clear about this, no-one, and I mean no-one, is suggesting that we have a referendum campaign during the pandemic.

“We will have to have it … I tell you now, no-one is suggesting that. We will have to have that put behind us and be moving into a recovery phase before that can happen.”

Intervening on Sheppard, Ross said: “I’m interested in what [Sheppard] said because his leader, [Blackford] has said an independence referendum could be held this year.

“The Scottish National Party have put aside £600,000 of party funds to fight a referendum campaign this year. Are they wrong or is the honourable gentleman wrong?”

Responding, Sheppard said: “If it’s possible to have it later this year because the pandemic is over and we have moved beyond it, then I would welcome that.

“I don’t speculate on whether it’s the end of this year or the beginning of next year.

“The principle I’m advocating is that we will not be launching or fighting a referendum campaign whilst the pandemic is still extant and whilst we have the restrictions, the social restrictions on people, that are mandated by the public health emergency, that is a fact.”