Former first minister Alex Salmond has been accused of “cynical hypocrisy” over a decision that could lead to him sitting in Westminster and Holyrood at the same time.
North-east Conservative MSP Alex Johnstone criticised the ex-SNP leader because his party announced its opposition to the concept of dual mandate politicians prior to the 2010 general election.
The Nationalists highlighted the fact Sir Christopher Kelly’s review of MPs’ expenses revealed that the practice should end by May 2011 and singled out Mr Johnstone – who stood in the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine constituency – for criticism.
Speaking in December 2009, SNP chief whip Bill Kidd said the Tory MSP did not tell people who voted for him in the 2007 Holyrood election that he intended to stand for Westminster, unlike Mr Salmond who made it clear to voters in Banff and Buchan and Gordon he would be seeking a dual mandate at both the 2005 and 2007 elections.
Mr Kidd said: “Kelly wants no more dual mandates and the SNP support that position.”
Mr Johnstone said: “This is typical of the cynical hypocrisy both the SNP and Alex Salmond are so guilty of.
“It’s bad enough that the former first minister has spent the last two years bemoaning the existence of a parliament he now wants to be part of.
“The fact he’s doing the very thing his party vocally and naively criticised me for makes the whole situation even more laughable.”
Mr Salmond, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, confirmed on Sunday he would hold a dual mandate for a year if elected MP for Gordon in May, and donate one salary to the Mary Salmond Trust, a charity supporting north-east youth causes.
Scottish Conservative candidate for the Gordon constituency Colin Clark described the former first minister as “Scotland’s yo-yo man – forever skipping between Scotland and Westminster”.
Arthur Misty Thackeray, chairman of Ukip Scotland and MEP David Coburn’s right-hand man, likened the Nationalist MSP to a character in the classic television programme Blackadder.
“Alex Salmond, clearly unable to accept being defeated by democracy, now reveals himself as the Baldrick of British politics with a cunning plan to pull the UK apart from both ends like a Christmas cracker,” he added.