ALEX Salmond and a close political ally have been criticised for going on a taxpayer-funded foreign trip for MPs after losing their Westminster seats.
The former first minister and Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh both attended the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg in late June, it has emerged.
The total cost of their flights, subsistence and accommodation is expected to be around £2500, based on previous trips, and will be paid for by the House of Commons.
The SNP said their attendance was “standard practice” and hinted they might attend again.
The Assembly, a talking shop which describes itself as “the democratic conscience of greater Europe”, brings together 324 parliamentarians from 47 states four times a year.
Mr Salmond and Ms Ahmed-Sheikh were appointed as the SNP members of the Westminster delegation, a mix of around 18 MPs and Lords, in late 2015.
The Assembly’s summer plenary this year ran from June 26 to 30, and despite losing their seats on June 8, Mr Salmond and Ms Ahmed-Sheikh both attended.
Official records show Ms Ahmed-Sheikh signed in for two 3pm debates on June 26 and June 27, and Mr Salmond signed in just for the 3pm debate on June 27.
However there is no record of them speaking or voting at all during the five-day session.
Mr Salmond, 62, and Ms Ahmed-Sheikh, 46, both lost their seats to Tories at the election.
Mr Salmond lost Gordon to Colin Clark by 2607 votes and Ms Ahmed-Sheikh lost Ochil & South Perthshire to Luke Graham by 3359 votes.
After Tory MEP Dr Ian Duncan was given a peerage after failing to get elected as an MP in Perthshire, Nicola Sturgeon described it as “an absolute abomination”.
Scottish Tory deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said the SNP was guilty of double-standards.
He said: “We know the Nationalists took defeat badly last month, and this hanging-on proves it.
“The SNP is forever moaning about the House of Lords and other so-called democratic outrages. Both of these candidates were booted out by the electorate, yet they still pocket taxpayers’ cash when they should be moving on.
“In Nicola Sturgeon’s own words, that is a democratic ‘abomination’.”
Ms Ahmed-Sheikh stood against Ms Sturgeon as the Tory candidate in Glasgow Govan in the Holyrood election of 1999, but defected to the SNP a year later.
A protegee of Mr Salmond, the former Bollywood actress and lawyer is now helping to produce his forthcoming show on the Edinburgh Fringe, Alex Salmond Unleashed.
An SNP spokesperson said: “The existing UK delegation remains in place until replaced by the Speaker’s nomination with a six-month period of the election.
“This is the standard practice for all national delegations and necessary to ensure continuity of representation, as confirmed by Tory UK permanent representative Sir Roger gale.
“The Council of Europe of indirectly elected and includes unelected peers.”
The House of Commons added: “MPs who are members of the delegation and who are not returned at a general election may return as members of the delegation for up to six months.”
The Assembly is due to hold its next plenary session in October.
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