Alex Salmond is standing by his embattled justice secretary who has been urged to stand down by a former High Court judge.
The first minister said he did not agree with Lord McCluskey’s assessment that Kenny MacAskill was guilty of “unacceptable conduct” over a variety of issues including his handling of the armed police controversy.
The former Solicitor General for Scotland, known as John McCluskey, slated the justice secretary for his bid to scrap corroboration and an attack on the Supreme Court in London after its judges quashed the conviction of Moray wife killer Nat Fraser.
He claimed the routine arming of police in places like the Highlands was an example of “secretive decision making, with a minister and police chief quietly agreeing policy away from public scrutiny”.
Asked what he thought of Lord McCluskey’s assessment of the justice secretary, Mr Salmond said: “I do not agree.
“I know John very well and occasionally he vigorously supports me and my government and occasionally he criticises my government.
“This was one of the occasions he criticised.
“I shall wait and relish the next time that he endorses government policies which of course he has done on a number of occasions in the past.
“On this occasion we will just have to disagree.”
Asked if Mr MacAskill would be leaving his post, the first minister said: “Certainly not.”
The backlash against the firearms policy has led Police Scotland to ask HM Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) to investigate. The Scottish Police Authority is also conducting its own review.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, a Highland MP, said: “This unprecedented intervention from Lord McCluskey is damaging for Kenny MacAskill and a damning indictment of his tenure as justice secretary.”
David Alston, leader of Highland Council’s Liberal Democrat group, said he “fully supported” Lord McCluskey’s call.
The councillor said “alarm bells should be ringing very loudly” over the justice secretary’s conduct.
But Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch SNP MSP Dave Thompson claimed Mr Alston’s attack was designed to “divert attention” away from “crumbling” Lib Dem support of the No campaign.