SNP under fire after comedy troupe call Ruth Davidson a 'dyke' at pro-independence rally in Glasgow

Performers Witsherface defended using theoffensive epithet to describe the Scottish Conservative leader saying comedy is 'subjective'

Ruth Davidson speaking at the Apex Hotel in Edinburgh, after leading the party to their best ever performance at Holyrood (PA)

A Scottish independence rally attended by senior SNP MPs has been accused of homophobia after performers referred to Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson as a “dyke”.

Whitsherface, a Scottish comedy troupe, performed a comedy rap battle at the Scottish Independence Convention event in Glasgow where the compere was dubbed “Ruth Dykey-D”.

The performance made several other references to Ms Davidson’s sexuality during its depiction of a “rap-off” between leading Scottish female politicians which also included Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and SNP MP Mhairi Black.

The troupe got a big round of applause at the event to commemorate the second anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum which saw Scots back remaining in the union by 55 per cent to 45 per cent.

Former first minister Alex Salmond and several other high ranking SNP MP and MSPs spoke at the event.

The Scottish Conservatives, which became the second largest party in Holyrood following the elections in May, condemned the language and called for the nationalist party’s politicians to distance themselves from it.

A spokesperson told the Daily Telegraph: “The nationalists are always the first to scream offence at anything that even mildly upsets them.

“But when it's a joke at the expense of pro-UK campaigners, it's suddenly harmless and hilarious.

“The SNP should be lambasting this, but instead its elected representatives are praising it on social media.”

Annie Wells, a Conservative MSP in Glasgow who is also gay, said the performance was “completely out of order” and “shameful”.

But the party’s home affairs spokesman in Westminster, Joanna Cherry MP defended the sketch on Twitter calling it “hilariously irreverent satire”.

She accused Twitter users who had reacted with outrage of “mansplaining” homophobia to her.

She said that as a gay woman she was frequently on the receiving end of homophobic abuse but had heard none at the rally.

She later said it was “a shame if anyone was offended today” even though she wasn’t. She said she was a “long term supporter of LGBT rights” and “obviously condemned homophobia”.

Following the furore, Witsherface defended their skit on Twitter saying comedy is “subjective”.

The director of Stonewall Scotland, Colin Macfarlane, told Pink News: “Calling someone a ‘dyke’ is homophobic.

“If it goes unchallenged it gives the green light for others to follow suit.”