MURDO Fraser has come under fire for saying John Swinney had a "metaphorical gun to his head" over the publication of legal advice in the Alex Salmond inquiry.

The case, which Salmond ultimately won, cost the taxpayer more than half a million pounds. Calls for the Scottish Government to publish the legal advice it received in the run up to that court ruling came to a head this week.

All four of the opposition parties in Holyrood signalled they would support a Tory motion of no confidence in Swinney in an effort to force the publication of the legal advice.

The effort was successful and the Scottish Government agreed to publish the advice despite misgivings that doing would establish a bad precedent.

Speaking in Holyrood, Fraser said: "To ask the Scottish Government when they will publish the legal advice that it received regarding the judicial review into the handling of harrassment complaints against the former first minister Alex Salmond."

Swinney responded: "Presiding Officer, the maintenance of legal professional privilege is routine and is an essential part of good government. No administration since devolution has published legal advice in the context of litigation and I have expressed my concern about setting a precedent that could hamper future administrations in receiving candid legal advice.

"The government has taken unprecedented steps to share with the committee in confidence a summary of legal advice it received during the judicial review, supplemented by oral evidence by the Lord Advocate. However, over recent days a number of accusations have been raised which I've not responded to.

He went on: "It could undermine confidence in the Parliament, in the government and our independent justice system. In light of these developments I have concluded in line with the terms of Section 2.40 of the Scottish Ministerial Code that the balance of public interest in these exceptional circumstances now lies in releasing to the committee and for publication the contents of legal advice received by the government during the judicial review, in particular, the advice from external council.

"The law officers have provided their consent that there are compelling reasons for disclosure in these specific circumstances. Subject to the completion of disclosure to the necessary legal notifications, we aim to release the material to the committee this afternoon in order to address the desire for this information to be available as soon as possible.

"We have focused on providing the information that charts the development of the judicial review and, specifically, the changes in prospects that emerged during that process."

Fraser said: "Presiding Officer, this episode just demonstrates this contempt that this government holds for the Scottish Parliament. For months the committee has been calling for publication of the legal advice, there have been two votes in parliament last year calling for it to be published. Only now, at the very last moment, when a metaphorical gun is held to the head of the deputy first minster and he is threatened with a vote of no confidence, does he release the advice at the very last possible moment. Presiding Officer, we have not yet seen the documents Mr Swinney refers to."

Fraser went on to say that Salmond's lawyers last night said the material the Scottish Government was proposing to release was "highly selective and based on what would cause the least embarrassment to the government".

Swinney hit back, saying: "First of all, can I say if I hear Mr Fraser correctly, and I have have misheard him and if I did I will apologise, but I think he said that a gun had been metaphorically held to my head. Now, I don't think, Presiding Officer, that's appropriate terminology for one member of Parliament to use to another."

MSPs applauded as Swinney went on: "Neither, Presiding Officer, do I think it was appropriate that some other Conservative MSPs expressed some language, which I think is wholly inappropriate for one human being to express to one another or one member of Parliament to express to another. I will simply say that to get that off my chest. The second point is that Mr Fraser, as well being a member of Parliament, is also a trained solicitor. He knows the importance, from his professional background, of the principle of legal professional privilege. He knows how essential it is to the foundation of the Scottish legal system and the relationships between clients and advisers."

Yesterday, Tory MSP Adam Tomkins tweeted: “Swinney does the right thing not because it’s the right thing to do but only because it’ll save his neck. Devious unscrupulous manipulative little man.”

The outburst did not go unnoticed on social media, with SNP councillor Mhairi Hunter tweeting a gif of a child throwing a tantrum in response.

The sentiment was echoed by SNP MP Chris Law, who asked: “Adam, how old are you?” followed by an emoji of a baby’s bottle.

Others highlighted how Tomkins’s issue seemed to be that the Tories had gotten their way. Pollster Mark McGeoghegan said the MSP “would rather have the scalp than the legal advice”.

A no-confidence vote would not have placed a legal obligation on Swinney to resign, but the pressure from opposition parties in its wake would have been immense.

READ MORE: Tory MSP under fire for ‘revolting and contemptible’ attack on SNP minister

Many of the Deputy First Minister’s SNP colleagues came to his defence, variously accusing Tomkins of resorting to a “personal”, “revolting”, and “contemptible” attack.

Carol Monaghan, the SNP MP for Glasgow North West, wrote: “I thought you better than this, Adam. John is a kind, honest and gracious man who is respected across the political spectrum.

“Who were you hoping to engage with a tweet such as this? Really disappointing.”

John Nicolson MP added: “What a revolting tweet. John Swinney - as friends and colleagues will tell you from across the political spectrum - is a thoroughly decent, kind, and honourable man. He is the last person deserving of this venom.”

SNP MP Stewart McDonald commented: “People from all political viewpoints will tell you what a decent, honourable and conscientious public servant John Swinney has been over his near 25 years in elected office. Adam’s political career - as unremarkable as it is blessedly short - stands in the shade by comparison.”

Drew Hendry MP wrote: “Anybody who has had any dealings with @JohnSwinney knows this is a contemptible comment to make.

“Across politics, at all levels, all parties and none, over many years, I have heard countless remarks of respect and friendship for him. This says more about Mr Tomkins than John.”

MP Gavin Newlands wrote: “How disappointing. No matter how much I vehemently disagree with him on almost everything, I genuinely thought this personal nonsense was beneath Adam. How naive of me.”

Tomkins, who is also a professor at the University of Glasgow, responded to a comment from colleague Duncan Ross on the social media platform.

Ross, who is a Dean of Graduate Studies at the university, wrote: “Adam, this is beneath you. Disagree about politics and process if you will, but there is not a person in the Scottish Parliament with more integrity than John Swinney.”

Responding, Tomkins wrote: “Integrity?! The man who told me I should be ashamed of asking him questions about his illegal and sinister named persons scheme?

“The man who won’t publish the OECD review of the SNP’s disastrous mismanagement of schools until after the election? This is honest John, is it?”