The First Minister’s opponents have sought to heap more pressure on him, insisting his credibility is damaged after it emerged that his Government has not yet taken legal advice on a key issue linked to independence.
Labour claimed Alex Salmond’s credibility is “fatally damaged” and demanded he make an emergency statement on the issue.
The Tories said that trust in the SNP administration has been “blown apart”.
It comes after Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon revealed yesterday that the Scottish Government only commissioned “specific legal advice” from its law officers on an independent Scotland’s membership of the European Union after the signing of the Edinburgh Agreement last week.
Opposition politicians turned on Mr Salmond, saying that during a television interview he appeared to say that he did take legal advice.
In March the BBC’s Andrew Neil asked Mr Salmond directly if he sought advice on the question of Scotland’s future in Europe. The First Minister told him: “We have, yes, in terms of the debate.”
Mr Salmond appeared before Holyrood to insist that he was “talking about the issue of Scotland’s EU membership in terms of general debate, and in terms of the many eminent legal opinions offered”.
Labour’s Paul Martin accused the First Minister of telling “barefaced lies”.
Fellow Labour MSP Jackie Baillie has now demanded that Mr Salmond make an emergency statement to Holyrood.
The Tories also went on the attack, arguing that the SNP leader misled the public.
The row erupted just hours after two MSPs quit the SNP because of its u-turn on Nato membership.
Ms Baillie told BBC Radio Scotland: “Yesterday was a day of extraordinary events. Not only does the SNP have a devastating day losing two SNP MSPs, but the First Minister was revealed as a liar. That is the fact. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the First Minister is guilty of lying on this issue.
“He’s given the impression on several occasions now that this legal advice exists and it was greeted with some surprise yesterday when the Deputy First Minister said we haven’t had any legal advice.”
Speaking on the Good Morning Scotland programme, she said: “People need to have trust; trust in their politicians but trust in the information they receive.
Yesterday the SNP’s credibility and the First Minister’s credibility was fatally damaged.”
“I think it’s important that what the Government do now is publish all advice they have received on this. And I am calling on the First Minister to make an emergency statement to Parliament. This is so critical we actually need to fully investigate what has happened and what advice exists if any.”
Tory deputy leader Jackson Carlaw told the same programme that “yesterday was a watershed in terms of the public’s perception of the Government”.
The First Minister “has been misleading the public”, Mr Carlaw said.
“This is a man who is asking the people of Scotland to trust him with the creation of a new nation state. We have to have complete confidence in the individual that does that. And I think his credibility has been blown wide apart.”
The “impression the Government has given is that everything they say has been consistent with legal advice”, he said.
“Any fair-minded person is going to conclude the First Minister has been disingenuous with the truth.
“This is a very important moment for the Government because their credibility and their trust has been blown apart. And on an issue as crucial as this when we are deciding the fate of the country ahead, I think it really is inexcusable.”