Nicola Sturgeon has staunchly defended her predecessor after he came under fire for missing Prime Minister David Cameron’s statement on Syria.
Alex Salmond unveiled a portrait of himself in Edinburgh on Thursday, as well as attending First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood.
The SNP leader said the criticism he had received for not being in Westminster was “deeply unfair” and a “mischaracterisation” of the situation.
Speaking in London, she told the Press and Journal: “Alex is a member of the Scottish Parliament.
“He was attending the Scottish Parliament, he was doing other things including an event there that had been planned for veterans.
“So he was discharging his responsibilities as a member of the Scottish Parliament.”
She said it was Angus Robertson’s responsibility as Westminster group leader to respond to prime ministerial statements.
And she insisted the Gordon MP had been fully briefed on privy council terms the night before.
Ms Sturgeon concluded: “When the vote happens, if it does happen in the Commons and there’s a debate, Alex will take part in that.
“I think the criticism of him was deeply unfair.”
The SNP said the Aberdeenshire East MSP had been in Edinburgh for Scottish Parliament business, describing the unveiling at the National Portrait Gallery as a “short lunchtime engagement”.
Mr Salmond, who is his party’s international affairs spokesman in the UK Parliament, also met his schoolboy impersonator Ryan McGuigan at the event.