Labour has accused the SNP and Conservative governments of trying to “bully” the BBC ahead of a review of the broadcaster's governing charter.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Tory Culture Secretary John Whittingdale are both due to outline their visions for the corporation's future in Edinburgh this week.

The backdrop is the escalating war of words between former SNP leader Alex Salmond and senior BBC figures over its reporting of the independence referendum.

On Monday, the BBC's outgoing political editor Nick Robinson accused Mr Salmond of trying to "control" the broadcaster.

Mr Robinson also recently described protests against the BBC during the referendum campaign as “Putin-like” and said that journalists had been subjected to “intimidation and bullying”.

At the weekend Ms Salmond, now an MP, hit out at Mr Robinson saying that he should be ashamed of his work in Scotland in the run up to the vote.

The former First Minister also accused the BBC of producing “Pravda-like” propaganda.

In response Mr Robinson claimed that Mr Salmond's "serious underlying point" could be summed up in the word control.

It also emerged that Mr Robinson, along with his wife and children, recently attended a private dinner in Bute House hosted by Ms Sturgeon.

The First Minister is due to address television executives during the Edinburgh international television festival later this week.

She is expected to repeat a number of points raised during election, including a call for the devolution of broadcasting to Holyrood.

She is also expected to argue that BBC Scotland should get a bigger share of the organisation's income, a move the SNP says would reflect licence fees raised north of the border.

In a significant move, Labour's shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray will also commit Labour to campaigning for increased investment for BBC Scotland as well as the retention of the current quota system on commissions from nations and regions.

Mr Whittingdale, who will face questions from ITV News presenter Alastair Stewart during an event also at the TV festival, has questioned whether the BBC's current range of services "best serves licence fee payers”.

The Culture Secretary has denied accusations he poses a threat to the BBC saying that the "last thing" he wants to do is undermine the broadcaster.

Mr Murray said that the BBC was "not the plaything of politicians and bullying tactics from the Tories or the SNP will only result in a bad settlement for Scotland".

Mr Murray, who once ran Scotland’s first ever online-only TV station, added: “For the first time, the Scottish Government has a role in BBC Charter renewal and it is important they pursue this in a constructive way, with the best interests of Scottish viewers and the industry in mind.

"We've proven - with productions like Waterloo Road based in Greenock and Outlander in Cumbernauld - that we have the skilled people that are needed to produce these shows.

"Already, there are over 1500 people employed in the independent TV production sector in Scotland, and the creative industries support 60,000 jobs and contribute £5 billion to the Scottish economy. These are where the jobs of the future are to be found – we can’t afford for any opportunities to bring these jobs to Scotland to be lost."