ALEX Salmond is facing renewed calls to quit his Kremlin-TV show, as it emerged his on-screen partner is to leave the SNP’s ruling body.
The former First Minister was accused of naked self-interest in his “appalling” deal with the RT channel by Scottish Secretary David Mundell.
Mr Salmond’s one guiding principle was “self”, he said.
Mr Mundell also criticised Mr Salmond’s “extraordinary” crowdfunded legal action against the Scottish Government over two sexual misconduct complaints, which raised £100,000 in three days.
He was speaking about Mr Salmond and RT in light of new evidence about Russian state involvement in the Novichok nerve agent attack is Salisbury in March.
At the time, Mr Salmond’s RT show featured people deflecting blame from the Putin regime.
Mr Mundell said: “Alex Salmond’s approach to Russian television has been appalling from the start.
“I think it’s become increasingly clear that Mr Salmond has one guiding principle in his actions, and that’s self. I think he would do Scotland, himself and the whole country a great service if he were to end his programme on Russian TV.”
Asked about Mr Salmond’s crowdfunded legal action having a potential chilling effect, he said: “The problem is that we want people to come forward to challenge figures in authority, figures of power and wealth, and it’s not helpful for them.”
It also emerged former SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, who works with Mr Salmond on his RT show, is to leave the SNP’s ruling body at next month’s party conference.
Ms Ahmed-Sheikh, 47, has been on the National Executive Committee (NEC) for seven years as the SNP’s women and equalities convenor.
She and Mr Salmond jointly own the firm which makes his RT show, which she also helps present.
The former Tory candidate was last year urged to step aside from the NEC over Russia’s record on gay rights. She also helped promote Mr Salmond’s crowdfunding appeal.
She said she was “immensely privileged” to have been women’s and equalities officer.
Asked if her exit was connected to Mr Salmond’s misconduct case or RT, she attributed it to unhappiness with the lack of ethnic minority women in senior SNP roles.
Mr Salmond, 63, who denies criminality, declined to comment.
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