ALEX Salmond yesterday demanded an apology from David Cameron for the toxic "anti-Scottish" nature of the Conservatives' general election campaign.

One of the Prime Minister's first acts after winning a majority was to say he wanted to unite the nations and regions of the UK.

Speaking to the media in South Queensferry yesterday, the former First Minister said an apology would be a good place for the PM to begin.

He said: "Gordon Brown did describe David Cameron's tactics as anti-Scottish. So I would have thought that the Prime Minister might start with an apology."

The Tory election campaign was widely criticised in Scotland for being divisive, with even Scottish Unionists reported to be "raging" at its long-term negative impact.

Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon were said to be planning to "blackmail" Labour, hold the country "to ransom" over Trident, and pull Ed Miliband's strings.

Salmond was even depicted as a black-clad pickpocket on Tory posters south of the border, alongside the slogan "Don't let the SNP grab your cash."

The work of Cameron's election guru Lynton Crosby, the messages were designed to bring Ukip voters back to the Tory fold and scare voters away from Labour.

Asked about the posters, Salmond said: "There did seem to be more posters of me in London than David Cameron or Ed Miliband put together.

"I can't imagine what use of resources that involved. I thought I looked rather like the guy in the Milk Tray advert."

Last month, Salmond said the SNP would never support the Tories "because of their anti-Scottish attitude over many years and their anti-Scottish campaign."

Salmond yesterday predicted Cameron's government would come to ruin over its in-out referendum on membership of the EU, an issue which had torn the Tories apart "on regular occasions".

He said: "It's an issue which has perennially split the Conservative Party and it's going to be one of the first issues that David Cameron faces.

"And if I was sailing into that particular storm, if I were the Prime Minister I would want a rather larger majority that the one he's got.

"He might find that that's a pretty weak majority to take into that particular constitutional morass."

He said Cameron would suffer the same debilitating collapse as John Major's 1992 Tory government as it split over Europe.

"I remember another Tory Prime Minister who had a much bigger vote and a much bigger percentage. That was John Major. And also a much bigger majority. He had a majority of 21 [compared to Cameron's of 12]

"And his Government ran into the sands in about six months after the election.

"David Cameron's mandate looks a lot shakier than John Major's - a much lower percentage of the vote - barely more than a third actually and a much narrower majority. So I would say a Cameron Government - well, it won't be too long before he goes the same way as John Major."

A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: "This is a typically ridiculous and sanctimonious intervention from Alex Salmond.

"The Prime Minister has spent the last few years campaigning vigorously to keep Scotland in the UK, so any suggestion he is suddenly anti-Scottish is blatantly absurd."

Salmond also joked his advice to the new intake of SNP MPs would be "make your voice heard, represent your constituents, and stay out the Strangers Bar".

The bar, which is open to MPs and their guests, was where the former Falkirk MP Eric Joyce tried to thump several Tories in 2012 and had to resign the Labour whip.

"The whole of the Palace of Westminster is a wonder of weirdy things, but I think the main thing is to forget the flummery and concentrate on the politics."