Alex Salmond has been told to apologise cracking a “joke” about having sex with female politicians.
The former First Minister of Scotland has been called “gross” after he attempted a double entendre involving a string of powerful women, including his old boss Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson and Prime Minister Theresa May.
He told the crowd at his sell-out ‘Salmond Unleashed’ comedy show: “I promised you today we’d either have Theresa May or Nicola Sturgeon, or Ruth Davidson or Melania Trump, but I couldn’t make any of these wonderful women come...”
There was then a “bad dum” on the drums, before he added: “.. to the show”
He has been lambasted for the “simply unacceptable” comments by some, but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has defended him.
She told BBC Scotland. “I think I would know if he was sexist, and emphatically he is not. He is not sexist.”
However, she added: “Occasionally Alex is not as funny as he thinks he is, and perhaps this is an example of a joke which perhaps belongs more in the Benny Hill era than in the modern era.”
Labour MSP Monica Lennon said the former First Minister of Scotland should know better.
She said: “It would be wrong to laugh these comments off as a bit of banter, this is a former First Minister degrading female politicians.
“Alex Salmond should know that comments like these are simply unacceptable and he should apologise.
“It would set a horrendous example to young men if he tries to hide behind these sexist comments as risque humour.”
Salmond lost his Gordon seat at the June election to Conservative Colin Clark.
Scottish Tory MSP Murdo Fraser, Salmond’s old foe in the Scottish Parliament, said: “Alex Salmond has gone from being Scotland’s First Minister to a bore propping up the bar in the space of a few years.
“He certainly won’t be troubling the judging panel for fringe joke of the year with that offering.”
Salmond’s guest for the Edinburgh Fringe show was in fact his “good pal”, Brexit Secretary David Davis.
As he walked on stage Salmond said: “Remember all the guests are my pals so watch how you treat them.
“Can I introduce you to the next prime minister of the United Kingdom, perhaps the last prime minister of the United Kingdom, Mr David Davis.”
In a light-hearted discussion Davis was pushed on cabinet divisions and the timescale for Brexit and said Salmond was “trying to make me lose my job”.
Questioned about his leadership ambitions should Theresa May step down, Davis laughed and said: “I am really a very, very bad leadership candidate.”