The president of the SNP has attacked a senior Scottish Government minister for failing to concentrate on “the day job” after he plugged his new book online.
The spat came after Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson took to Twitter to promote Vienna – The International Capital.
He posted that the book is “available in two weeks’ time”, followed by an Amazon link to place a pre-order.
But in a now deleted response Mike Russell, who is SNP president and previously held Robertson’s Cabinet position, said: “Hmm – might be a breach of MSP code too. And legitimate for people to ask what he is doing in the day job”.
The confrontation will be uncomfortable for First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who is already under pressure from within her party over a lack of progress on an independence referendum – a huge part of Robertson’s brief.
Robertson pulled off a victory in the Holyrood election when he won Edinburgh Central, the seat formerly held by ex-Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson.
Regarded as a big hitter, he was immediately handed his Cabinet job and has been tipped as a future party leader.
A source said: “Robertson arrived at Holyrood amid quite a bit of fanfare and the idea was that he would have the personality and brains to push Westminster for a second referendum.
“That is why he got the job that he has, but since then he has been largely anonymous. There hasn’t really been much out of him since being elected.
“There will be a contingent within the party who are absolutely furious at the idea he is concentrating on his latest book rather than pushing for independence.
“It is exactly the sort of thing that will risk members jumping ship to Alex Salmond’s Alba Party instead.Nicola Sturgeon will not like this one bit.
"It is exactly the sort of public spat you just didn’t see within the SNP.
“It is indicative of the general breakdown in discipline and also growing discontent over the desire to push for IndyRef 2.
“The fact Russell has deleted the tweet suggests he has either realised it didn’t look good or he has received an angry phone call.”
Records show Robertson has contributed to just four parliamentary debates since being elected in May, including his oath of affirmation.
Lib Dem Scottish affairs spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain MP also advised Robertson to concentrate on the day job.
She said: “Even the SNP president is wondering whether this is the best use of the Culture Secretary’s time.
“Scotland needs its senior politicians to be focused on the recovery from the pandemic, not Scottish independence or their literary careers.”
Robertson was depute leader of the SNP from 2016 to 2018. He served as Westminster MP for Moray from 2001 to 2017 and was leader of the SNP in the House of Commons from 2007 to 2011.
An online blurb for his new historical tome states: “Vienna is unique among world capitals in its consistent international importance over the centuries. ”
Russell is viewed as one of the SNP’s most influential figures. He served as cabinet secretary for the constitution, Europe and external affairs from 2020 to 2021 and held a catalogue of senior jobs before that.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Mr Robertson appropriately declared that he had written this book before he was appointed as a Scottish minister and there is no breach of the Ministerial Code.
“Any subsequent promotional activity will be in his own time and no Scottish Government resources will be used.”
An SNP source said: “Michael was actually trying to send Angus examples of some of the baseless criticisms he had himself received in the past when publishing his own books, and tweeted one such example by mistake.
“He looks forward to reading Angus’s book – which was, of course, written before he was elected as an MSP in May.”
The SNP did not respond to requests for comment.
In August 2016 Robertson was awarded the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Austrian Republic. It was presented by the then leader of Austria’s governing coalition People’s Party, Reinhold Lopatka.
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