Scottish Parliament

Alex Salmond defended his relationship with Rupert Murdoch accusing the Labour party of "hypocrisy and humbug", during first minister's question time on 26 April 2012.

Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont questioned his stance on News International's attempted take over of BSKYB and saying Mr Salmond was the "only senior politician in the country, or even the world" to invite Rupert Murdoch round for tea after the revelations about the phone hacking of Milly Dowler.

Ms Lamont said despite the accusations against Mr Murdoch's newspapers of hacking, bribery and preventing the course of justice "Eck still puts a kettle on for Rupert".

She added "All he is achieving is to demean the office he craved for so long".

Mr Salmond hit back saying he had spoken to the Murdochs to save jobs in Uddingston, Dunfermline and Livingston and pointed out that 900 jobs had been created at the Atlantic Quay site Glasgow by HeroTSC who have SKY as a client.

The first minister also pointed out that the Labour leader Ed Milliband had been seen "beaming" with Rupert Murdoch at his summer party, and Mr Milliband had said Sun readers would be the first to hear about his new policies

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson questioned the first minister as to whether he had had discussions with Donald Trump about the planned wind farm development at a Global Scot dinner in New York, saying "something here stinks".

Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader asked if Mr Salmond regretted his "terrible article in the Sun" after the revelations about the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone?

Mr Salmond said he had supported the establishment of the Leveson inquiry and that the "deplorable" phone hacking was being dealt with by the inquiry.

Scottish Green co-convener Patrick Harvie MSP called for Salmond to take no delay in telling Mr Trump "where to get off" and asked the first minister to "kick him out of the GlobalScotnetwork".

Mr Salmond declined the opportunity and pointed out that Mr Trump's golf course looked absolutely tremendous and not like the "carbuncle" Mr Harvie had referred to.