Cameron snub for Salmond’s ‘Russian’ show
FORMER Prime Minister David Cameron rejected an approach from Alex Salmond to appear on his new TV show.
The ex-First Minister is understood to have invited Mr Cameron onto the show last week, during a telephone conversation.
But he said he would not appear with a Nationalist on a channel funded by the Kremlin.
Mr Cameron is the latest in a series of prominent politicians to refuse to appear on RT, the channel formerly known as Russia Today.
It also emerged yesterday that Commons speaker John Bercow, who previously appeared as a guest in Mr Salmond’s show at the Edinburgh Fringe, pulled out of the programme when he learned it would be screened on RT.
A senior Conservative source said Mr Cameron ‘seemed surprised’ when asked to be a guest, adding: ‘It shows Salmond’s total lack of self-awareness. There’s no way the former PM would do a Russia Today chat show with the Nationalist leader. Dave quite rightly told Alex to get stuffed. Alex is going after a lot of Tories and getting a l ot of knock-backs.’
The Alex Salmond Show is due to premiere on RT this morning.
It has been dogged by criticism since Mr Salmond’s production c o mpany, Slainte Medi a , announced last week it would air on the channel, which gets direct funding from the Russian state.
Earlier this week, a spokesman for Nicola Sturgeon confirmed no SNP ministers intend to appear on the show because it is on RT.
Last week, the First Minister said Mr Salmond’s choice of channel ‘would not have been my choice’ and that she would have ‘advised him to seek another channel’ if she had been asked.
Mr Salmond has insisted the broadcaster will allow him ‘freedom of speech’ and will not make editorial decisions on the show.
A Holyrood motion lodged by Lib Dem Alex Cole-Hamilton urg- ing Mr Salmond to ‘re- examine’ his decision to appear on the channel has been signed by 20 Tory, Labour and Lib Dem MSPs.
Asked if the show would feature ‘high-calibre guests’, a spokesman for Mr Salmond said: ‘Why don’t you watch it and see.’
When asked by Politics Home website about Mr Cameron’s decision, a Slainte Media spokesman said: ‘We do not comment on those who have been invited onto The Alex Salmond Show or guests who will be appearing until, of course, they appear on screen.
‘However, your interesting story does tend to render ridiculous claims that what we have in mind is in any way a propaganda show.
‘Everyone would be well advised to watch the programme and make up their own minds.’
Which, as you’ll know, is Russian for No!