Alex Salmond has said David Cameron’s “jibe” about him pinching people’s wallets is typical of the Tory leader’s style, warning “the Tories have been picking Scotland’s pocket for years”.
Mr Cameron was broadcast making the quip at the end of an interview and viewer call-in on ITV’s This Morning as host Phillip Schofield moved onto the next item.
Mr Schofield said: “Up next, a man who can pinch your wallet, your watch and even your tie without you noticing.”
Mr Cameron, who was off camera, could then be heard saying: “Is that Alex Salmond?”
Anyone else hear the PMs little joke at Alex Salmond?… #ThisMorning #DavidCameron pic.twitter.com/BfpJxwa97I
— greengoestweet (@greengoestweet) April 22, 2015
Co-host Amanda Holden burst out laughing at the remark as the programme went to adverts.
Mr Salmond said: “The Tories have been picking Scotland’s pocket for years, and have been well and truly rumbled, which is why David Cameron and the rest of the Westminster gang are sinking like a stone in Scotland.
“Of course, it’s typical of David Cameron’s style to make an off-microphone jibe but he didn’t have the bottle to debate in the referendum, or with Nicola Sturgeon in this election campaign – if he had he’d be looking even more hot and bothered.”
Mr Schofield had been introducing James Freedman for the programme’s next segment.
In the interview, Mr Cameron admitted the “close election” means he is not getting to see his family as much as he would like, revealing his four-year-old-daughter often asks if he has won the election yet.
The Prime Minister outlined his plans on the This Morning sofa and admitted the race for power would be close all the way to May 7.
The Tory leader vowed to give the campaign “everything I have got”.
He said: “(My family) are sad they are not seeing as much of me as they were but they are very enthusiastic.
“Even Florence gets there’s a blue team and I’m in charge. She keeps coming back home at night and saying ‘Daddy have you won the election yet?’
“(I say) ‘no, no it doesn’t work like that, it’s a long process’.
“This is I think such an important election for our country so I’m going to give it everything I have got.”
Mr Cameron said he understood why people were thinking hard about who to vote for and said he hoped in the end they would turn to him.
He described his frantic campaign schedule, set to include an appearance with London Mayor Boris Johnson later today.
The Prime Minister said: “It is a close election, it is a very tough and tight fight. I am not surprised by that.
“In this country, since 2008, since the great financial crash, we have had a difficult time. It has been hard for people and as a country together sacrifices have been made to get the country back on track.
“So I understand why people are thinking very carefully about how they vote – I just believe in the end and hope in the end they will stick with the people turning the economy around rather than go back to the people who crashed it in the first place.
“But in the end, we are a democracy, people will choose.”