When Alex Salmond flew to Iran to meet Iranian ministers and MPs just before Christmas, he was expecting to be briefed by the resident UK diplomatic team over dinner at the embassy. It did not turn out that way.
Instead, the foreign secretary Philip Hammond’s office sent a message that the Scottish delegation was not entitled to hospitality. To avoid embarrassment, Scotland’s former first minister hosted the dinner at his hotel in Tehran, paying for not only himself and his delegation but British embassy staff, too.
Salmond, who is the Scottish National party’s foreign affairs spokesman, is torn between whether the incident is comic or a piece of political vindictiveness on the part of Hammond’s office.
Salmond’s treatment contrasts with that of the former prime minister Tony Blair, who was hosted at British embassies in Washington and Paris. The Scottish visit was at the invitation of the Iranian parliament.
There is a potential constitutional issue over whether the Foreign Office sees itself playing host exclusively to Westminster delegations, rather than Scottish ones as well.
Salmond, who is a member of the Scottish and Westminster parliaments, said: “It’s a quite serious matter because it indicates the deep politicisation of the Foreign Office under Hammond and his Tory special advisers. The Foreign Office permanent under-secretary should be putting his foot down to make it clear it is the British Foreign Office, not the Tory Foreign Office.
“It is worth noting that, while Foreign Office staff are being prohibited from offering elementary courtesy to a parliamentary delegation from the Westminster and parliaments, including privy councillors and members of the Council of Europe, they have been for years offering bed and board for Tony Blair.”
The Foreign Office said this month that Blair, after revelations in the media about his embassy stays, and other former ministers would not be provided with any assistance for visits unless they were in pursuit of government objectives.
Asked specifically about Salmond, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “Overseas posts follow clear guidance on arrangements for visiting parties. Visiting politicians from a single party are offered a general political briefing, but it is not the role of overseas posts to provide hospitality or to arrange meetings unless it is for an official visit on her majesty’s government business. All embassy expenditure is kept under close scrutiny to ensure the best value for money for the taxpayer.”
During the visit, the six-strong Salmond delegation, which included two SNP members of the Scottish parliament, Azzam Mohammed, vice-chairman of the Muslim Council for Scotland, and two staff, met the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, and the speaker of the Iranian parliament, Ali Larijani. A British embassy team was included in the talks, which featured discussion of the nuclear pact, trade and human rights.
Salmond said the British chargée d’affaires, Ben Fender, and his staff were helpful and co-operative: his beef was with Hammond’s office. It was only as Salmond and his team were about to fly the last leg from Dubai to Tehran that he was informed that there would be no dinner at the embassy that night.
Rather than allow the Iranian government, which was covering the costs, to pick up the tab for the British diplomats, Salmond offered to pay for the hotel dinner. He hesitated momentarily when the bill for 3.5 million rials landed, anxiety only lifting when it was converted to £82.
