Kirkcaldy SNP MSP David Torrance has said sorry after he liked a “nakedly racist” post on Twitter aimed at Tory Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
The Fife nationalist claimed he accidentally liked the image mocking up Ms Braverman – who is from a minority background – with white face paint.
The tweet, shared by an SNP supporter, reads: “I will follow anyone back who detests this woman.”
Scottish Tory MSP Pam Gosal slated Mr Torrance for “apparently endorsing” the photo and demanded he say sorry.
She said: “It’s nakedly racist.
“What sort of message does this send out to women from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds who are thinking about getting into politics?
“It’s expected we have healthy debates in our democracy, but that must always be conducted with civility and mutual respect.
“There is nothing healthy about this race-baiting trash.”
In a statement, Mr Torrance said: “This tweet was liked accidentally and has since been unliked.
“I apologise unreservedly for any offence this may have caused.”
Home Secretary Ms Braverman’s parents are both of Indian origin, and emigrated to the UK from Mauritius and Kenya respectively in the 1960s.
Rwanda controversy
She has been responsible for overseeing her party’s controversial attempts to deport migrants arriving in Britain to Rwanda for processing.
In June, the policy was dealt a major blow when a top UK Government deemed it unlawful.
At the time, the SNP claimed Ms Braverman was actually “delighted” with the ruling since it gives her party a chance to have a fight with the courts.
SNP MSP Mr Torrance has served in Holyrood since he was first elected by locals in Kirkcaldy at the 2011 election.
Before entering the Scottish Parliament he had been a councillor for the nationalists in Fife for more than a decade.