PRITI Patel has accused SNP MPs of making “insulting” and “offensive” statements about her plans to loosen visa rules for Ukrainians.

The Home Secretary was pilloried by the opposite benches while she was updating MPs on her plans to allow a wider group of relatives to join their family in the Uk if they are fleeing the war-torn country.

She said that individuals and companies would be able to act as sponsors for Ukrainians fleeing their homes, and the parents, grandparents, adult children and siblings would now be able to join their relatives who were settled in the UK.

However SNP MP Stuart McDonald, the party’s shadow home secretary, said the Home Office was “having to be dragged towards a generous and comprehensive response, instead of at a shambolic and miserly mess”.

He added: “For days the Home Secretary has lagged behind the demands of the public, demands from this parliament, and even within her own party.

“For Ukrainians already here instead of a piecemeal visa extension, can we have a comprehensive extension of all visas for at least a year?

“She referred to switching to the points-based immigration system, but not everybody will qualify to do that - what are they supposed to do?”

Mr McDonald added that the only way to stop families from being split up was to waive visa requirements, which the Home Secretary has refused to do as she says it will compromise security in the UK.

Ms Patel said she found his comments “quite offensive actually, insulting in every single way” and said it was “time for the SNP to stop playing politics”.

She was then told to “get on with her job” by Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil, before he was warned to stop interrupting by the Commons speaker.

Ms Patel said she had been contacted by Mr MacNeil at the weekend about a constituency case, adding: “He had a response back within minutes.

“That response came from me. I picked up that case personally myself.

“So I don't need to be told to be getting on with my job, thank you very much.”

The Home Secretary then addressed Mr mcDoanld’s points, saying: “With regards to the party opposite, I think actually rather than making these really quite offensive points…I think there has to be a recognition here, and I'm very sorry that the party obviously doesn't want to listen to a word that I have to say…

“We have been working for weeks and weeks across government with the countries in the region and the Ukrainian government. We are working to provide the schemes and the assistance that they have asked for.

“This is not a case of just saying ‘Carte blanche to x-y-z’. We are developing the schemes in conjunction with them.”

Mr MacNeil asked later about a constituent in Lewis who has 20 Ukrainian relatives who he wants to help flee to safety.

He said: "My constituent, a businessman, has 20 family members and inlaws, normal people who are refugees on the Polish/Ukrainian border.

"The accommodation's there, we want them in the Hebrides, and so far red tape in London is stopping them coming to Scotland.

"It's a simple question from Mr. McLeod - can the 20 come to the isle of Lewis, and as Mr. McLeod says, time is lives, and him and his wife are obviously very concerned."

Ms Patel replied: "I think this is the case that he's been in touch with me about, and we are looking into all of this." 

Sir Keir Starmer has criticised the UK Government's reponse to the oncoming migrant crisis.

Speaking after a service at  the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in west London, the Labour leader said: “I think we need to go further in our support for Ukraine.

“First and foremost, what the people of Ukraine, those in Ukraine, want is our support to help them in defending their cities and defending their country. So that’s the first level of support that we need.

“Of course, we need to ramp up even more the economic sanctions and there’s a frustration that whilst we’ll vote with the Government on sanctions, we want them to go further, we want them to go faster.

“And of course, on the humanitarian front, we’re seeing people fleeing, we must do as we’ve historically done, which is to give them the support that they need. A simple route to sanctuary is what we’re seeking.

“I don’t think the Home Office and Home Secretary have gone far enough on this, but it’s all those three levels of support that are absolutely crucial at the moment.”