PETE Wishart has hit back at the Tories after Boris Johnson twice suggested that Alex Salmond was a member of the SNP.

The SNP MP was speaking at the House of Commons during Business Questions, telling the Leader of the House Mark Spencer that the Alba leader is “as much a member of the SNP as UKIP’s Neil Hamilton is to the Tories”.

It follows comments made by the Prime Minister on Wednesday where he twice linked Salmond to the SNP.

Boris Johnson called the former First Minister one of the SNP’s “very own” while mentioning the former First Minister’s show on the Russian state-media broadcaster RT.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon says Russia must face 'severest consequences' for invasion of Ukraine

Salmond was a member of the SNP - and leader until 2014 - before resigning from the party in 2018 following sexual misconduct claims. Salmond was later acquitted of all charges.

He has been leader of the Alba Party since 2021.

On Thursday, Wishart criticised Johnson for hinting that Salmond was a member of the SNP.

Speaking in the Commons, the Perth and North Perthshire MP suggested that RT should be taken off the air.

Speaking after Russia launched a war on Ukraine, Wishart said: “I think the whole world shook just a little bit on its axis this morning as we realised all our worst fears with the invasion of Ukraine.

"Even though this has been fully expected I think the full horror of what has happened this morning has been quite difficult to comprehend and process”

Wishart asked for the Prime Minister to keep MPs updated on any plans by the Government to sanction Russia.

The SNP MP asked what measures will be imposed and how long they will take to get through the house.

He went on: “The minimalist measures have proven to be totally inadequate and ineffective. What we now need as to sanction to the max and to end the City of London being Putin's financial laundromat of choice.

“We also need a statement about Russian propaganda. We need to stop this Russian propaganda being pumped 24/7 into the houses of the UK.

The National:

Alex Salmond has been criticised for hosting a show on the Russian state-broadcaster RT

“Now the Prime Minister has said that taking it off air requires an intervention from Ofcom. But does he not agree that this is a technicality whose time has passed?”

He then criticised the Prime Minister for his earlier comments on the Alba leader: “And can I say to the leader of the House that RT contributor Alex Salmond as much a member of the SNP as Ukip's Neil Hamilton is a member of his Conservative Party.

“This petty point-scoring should now come to end because the Ukrainian people want to see unity from this house. This is a dark day for Ukraine, and for the whole of Europe, and if he brings forward those ecisive, hard measures, he will get our support.”

House of Commons Leader Spencer replied: "I think that uniting this house together in its objection to Russian aggression is fundamental to our response.

"I think a unified house means that we can present ourselves along with our international colleagues in a way which sends a very strong message to the Russian president."

Explained: Why is Russia invading Ukraine and what is Nato?

It comes as Russian troops launch a broad assault on Ukraine from three sides, an attack that began with explosions before dawn in the capital Kyiv and other cities.

Ukraine’s leadership said at least 40 people had been killed so far in what it called a “full-scale war” targeting the country from the east, north and south.

In a televised address as the attack began, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would “lead to consequences you have never seen in history”.

Ukrainians started fleeing some cities, and the Russian military claimed to have incapacitated all of Ukraine’s air defences and air bases within hours.