THE broadcasting watchdog has dismissed a complaint by a Liberal Democrat MSP about the SNP’s party political broadcast screened earlier this year and said to poke fun at journalist David Torrance.

Set in a house party, and based on a scene in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, the video features a man called Davey who can’t stop banging on about the failings of the SNP government to other guests.

Lib-Dem Alex Cole-Hamilton took issue with the film, reporting it to Ofcom accusing it of mocking the Herald columnist and political commentator Torrance – whose physical appearance is similar to the Davey character.

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But yesterday the regulator found there was no substance to the Edinburgh MSP’s complaint. An email from Ofcom seen by The National said: “I can confirm that this complaint was carefully assessed, but was not pursued. A letter detailing our full reasoning was sent to the complainant to explain our decision.”

A SNP spokesman said: “It’s good to see Alex Cole-Hamilton’s pathetic, juvenile, attention-seeking stunt was treated with the contempt it deserved and dismissed out of hand by Ofcom. Hopefully he’ll think twice about wasting the regulator’s time with such daft conspiracy theories in future.”

Cole-Hamilton announced on Twitter he had set down a motion in Holyrood criticising the broadcast and described the video as a “worrying, Trumpian challenge to press freedom”. He added that he had reported it to Ofcom.

But the Edinburgh MSP faced a large backlash of criticism, including from the SNP’s James Dornan, who pointed out that he had failed to sign a motion condemning the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Cole-Hamilton’s motion also criticised the SNP for misleading viewers by trying to take credit for the introduction of free personal care for the elderly. Others claimed the broadcast obviously pointed to the SNP continuing to provide the care despite budget pressure.