Tory MP apologises for making 'woof noises' at SNP colleague

Sir Nicholas Soames: Picture credit - PA

A prominent Conservative MP was last night forced to apologise for making a “woof” noise at an SNP colleague in the House of Commons.

Sir Nicholas Soames insisted he had merely offered a “friendly canine salute” at Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh during a statement by the Foreign Secretary on US immigration policy.But he apologised after she raised a point of order with Speaker John Bercow and branded the outburst “extremely disrespectful”.

Soames made the noise as Ahmed-Sheikh - the SNP’s Westminster spokesperson on trade - railed against the US president’s executive order barring people from seven majority Muslim countries from entering the US.

After the debate she said: "I understand that Sir Nicholas, who has always afforded me courtesy and respect, was making sort of 'woof woof'-sounding noises to what I was saying, which I find of course extremely disrespectful.”

Soames, the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, responded: "I thought that in her question to the Foreign Secretary she snapped at him a bit at the end, so I offered her a friendly canine salute in return.

"No offence was intended and I apologise to the Honourable Lady if she was offended."