The Scottish National Party (SNP) urged the British government yesterday to abandon “knee-jerk militarism” and adopt an “ethical and effective” foreign policy in the new year, following months of Western-backed bloodshed in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Theresa May has faced cross-party opposition to her continued sales of arms to the Saudi regime, which has used the weapons in indiscriminate attacks on Yemen that have killed numerous civilians.

The SNP condemned Tory ministers’ “shamefully stained” relationship with Saudi Arabia and called for an independent inquiry after reports emerged that outlawed British-made cluster bombs have been used on targets in Yemen.

Ms May has also faced criticism for her government’s participation in coalition air strikes in war-torn Syria, which have helped to create a massive refugee crisis.

SNP international affairs spokesman Alex Salmond said: “For the UK government, the new year should be one of recognising and correcting the errors in their foreign policy approach and one where they adopt a more ethical and effective approach that abandons military obsession and instead puts humanitarian and political efforts at its core.”

The MP and former party leader warned: “You cannot arm regimes with stained military tactics with one hand and then raise the other to proclaim the need to uphold human rights.

“The lessons are clear for all in the last year, from the lessons of Libya to Yemen and Syria.

“The SNP have consistently called for a wider strategy, rather than knee-jerk militarism, and we will continue to hold the Tory government to account on these crucial issues.”

Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade warned that arms exports had “fuelled a humanitarian catastrophe” in Yemen, while fallout from the “botched and immoral wars” in the Middle East remained a cause for concern.

Mr Smith added that if Britain was to play a more positive role on the world stage, then “militarism and war must give way to an approach that

provides humanitarian relief for those in need and promotes peace and democracy.”