Alex Salmond has claimed that Boris Johnson’s gaffes are undermining the UK’s standing in the world.
The former first minister argued the growing list of blunders by the Foreign Secretary was also testing the patience of his boss Theresa May.
Mr Johnson has been accused of lacking tact by getting into a row with an Italian minister over whether Prosecco or fish and chips would fare better in post-Brexit trade.
He has also contradicted the Prime Minister by saying he backs freedom of movement – despite Ms May saying she wants to curb it.
A Tory spokesman responded it was “incredibly rich” for Mr Salmond to “lecture anyone on gaffes”, adding that he “only bothers going abroad when the taxpayer foots the bill and golf is involved”.
But the Gordon MP countered: “The foreign secretary’s list of political gaffes is longer than the number of countries he has visited in his role as foreign secretary.
“The UK Government is already losing its standing on the world stage. Only this month, the prime minister herself was left standing alone and isolated as EU representatives met in the room around her.
“The government must set out who speaks for the UK around the world.
“Is it bumbling Boris or the lonely Prime Minister with her list of Boris rebuttals?”
The former SNP leader made reference to Ms May’s recent branding of Mr Johnson as an “FFS” – an acronym she said stood for “fine foreign secretary”.
Mr Salmond added: “May’s mantra of “FFS” about Boris now resembles Margaret Thatcher’s famous “MBC” – my brilliant Chancellor – about Nigel Lawson before she then sacked him. Does the fate of Lawson now await Johnson in 2017?
“There is no doubt that Theresa May has repeatedly uttered “FFS” after nearly every meeting Boris has attended.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “For Alex Salmond to lecture anyone on gaffes is incredibly rich.
“The ex-First Minister only bothers going abroad when the taxpayer foots the bill and golf is involved.”
