He has accused “posh boy” David Cameron of running away from a debate with First Minister and leader of the SNP Nicola Sturgeon.
Over the years Alex Salmond has made no secret of the fact he thinks politicians like the prime minister who attended Eton College were out of touch with ordinary people.
Shortly after the 2010 general election, which saw the birth of a Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition, he told the Conservative leader: “Do not let the people suffer for attitudes forged on the playing fields of Eton.”
But it has emerged that one of Mr Salmond’s colleagues hoping to be elected to Westminster today is a former pupil at the elite Berkshire school which also produced Boris Johnson, a man tipped to be the next Tory leader.
Danus Skene, who is hoping to unseat Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael in Orkney and Shetland, is also the chief of Clan Skene.
Today the 70-year-old, a retired history and modern studies teacher, played down the significance of where he went to school and said he had no difficulty taking part in “Eton bashing”.
Mr Skene revealed that he had no time for old school cliques made up of people who have “spent their lives in a bubble”.
But he said most people who he went to school with were not like that.
Mr Skene said: “I did go to Eton 50 years ago and to be honest I have forgotten all about that.
“I am quite happy for people to judge me for things I have said and done since the age of 18 because I am not responsible for where I went to school.
“Yes I have a privileged background but it is something you try to return to the world.”
Mr Skene confirmed that he had a piece of paper stating that he was the head of arms of the Clan Skene.
According to the website Clan Skene, he was contacted in the early 1990s by members of the US-based Clan Skene Association who wanted to know who might be the head of the clan given the demise of the direct line of the Skenes of Skene family many years ago.
It stated: “Investigation of family history resulted in the Lord Lyon accepting the opinion that the Skenes of Pitlour were indeed the senior surviving family of the name of Skene.
“And in February 1994, Danus matriculated his coat of arms as Skene of Skene, and Clan Skene has a chief again.”
Mr Skene said he did not use the title and did not own a stately home.
“I live on Commercial Street in Lerwick,” he added.
Bizarrely it also emerged yesterday that people in Orkney and Shetland have another candidate with aristocratic roots and royal connections that they can vote for.
Conservative Donald Cameron, 38, is the son of the current chief of the Clan Cameron of Lochiel.
The advocate hails from Spean Bridge in the Highlands but works in Edinburgh and has registered an address in Melrose in the Borders for the election.
Mr Cameron is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his namesake ancestor who was MP for Inverness-shire in the late 1800s.