ALEX Salmond has vowed he will not "bullied" into quitting his Russia Today show after his UK national radio programme was cancelled after just six months.

The weekly Salmond on Sunday phone-in on LBC has ended, the London-based broadcaster confirmed yesterday.

The former First Minister has faced criticism for hosting a political show on RT – a Russian state-backed television channel – following the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

A Scottish Tory spokesman said: “He should do the decent thing and walk away.”

However, the former SNP leader accused the Tories of seeking to bully him into quitting as host of his weekly Alex Salmond Show on RT.

Speaking to the Sunday Herald, he called the Scots Tories "a bunch of laughable lickspittles. The idea that I would be bullied off air, whether it be on LBC or the Alex. Salmond Show, by that crowd is risible.

"The difference is that I say what I believe to be true on air. The Scots Tories get told what to think by their Westminster bosses.”

Salmond on Sunday had been billed as one of LBC's flagship programmes with its website praising Salmond as a "popular broadcast" and a "natural performer". His programme, it says, is "full of fiery debate, intelligent discussion, breaking news and informed opinion".

However, yesterday, a company spokesman said: "Alex Salmond has completed his contract as presenter of the Sunday afternoon show on LBC. We're now discussing other projects with him." The show was last aired last Sunday,

In November he began hosting The Alex Salmond Show on RT. But he received fresh calls to stop in the wake of the poisoning last month of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, which Prime Minister Theresa May blamed on the Russian state.

However, Salmond defended his show saying he had full editorial control. In a statement issued to the media yesterday, he said he expected to continue working for LBC.

He said: “I signed up to a six-month contract with LBC last September, which completed at the end of March. I have had a great time with the listeners at LBC, who are both opinionated and tremendous fun, and I really enjoyed the phone-in experience. I look forward to launching another project with the station which is currently under discussion.”

Salmond intends to serve out his full contract with RT, it is understood. The length and terms of the deal have not been made public.

Last night, Salmond was accused by political opponents of embarrassing Nicola Sturgeon, who succeeded him as First Minister in late 2014.

There were also renewed calls for him to quit RT.

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said: "What a fall from grace. Four years ago Alex Salmond was First Minister, now his only job is punting Kremlin propaganda on Russia Today. At least this is one less platform for him to create headaches for Nicola Sturgeon, who must be desperate for Alex Salmond to retire with some shred of dignity."

Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton added: "If Alex Salmond can make a living from his various pensions and radio earnings he should do the decent thing and drop his Russian RT show. He should take this opportunity to break with the Russian propaganda outfit."