A senior SNP MP liked a tweet which described First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as a “narcissistic sociopath”.
Kenny MacAskill, a critic of the First Minister, then unliked the derogatory social media post amid media interest.
A Twitter post flagged up how firm Slanj, accompanied by a picture of Sturgeon, had seen an increase in orders after she was pictured wearing one of their tartan masks.
In response, a Twitter user from Edinburgh wrote: “Narcissistic sociopaths will do as narcissistic sociopaths do.”
It then emerged that MacAskill, who was Alex Salmond’s justice secretary, liked this tweet.
The East Lothian MP used to be a political ally of the First Minister, but he is now a critic of her leadership.
In the past, he has called for the replacement of her husband Peter Murrell as SNP chief executive.
A journalist later tweeted that a “source” close to MacAskill said he liked the tweet not because of the remark about the First Minister, but as a “comment on the ‘commercialism’ of face coverings”. The tweet has been unliked.
MacAskill has been contacted for comment.
