Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont has been reprimanded by the Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer for calling Alex Salmond “dishonest”.
Tricia Marwick twice told Ms Lamont to withdraw remarks she made during a fiery First Minister’s Questions on Thursday.
Ms Marwick first stepped in after the Labour leader claimed the First Minister was “simply dishonest”.
Ms Lamont went on to state that “honesty is not something this government deals in”.
The Presiding Officer told Ms Lamont: “I think you should withdraw that.”
Ms Lamont replied: “I accept the advice of the Presiding Officer, but I have to say that I do not know what word we use to describe a government that says one thing in private and something different in public.”
Labour sources said they stood by the remark and insisted it had not been withdrawn by Ms Lamont. They added that, while they respect Ms Marwick’s authority, they disagreed with her ruling.
However, a Scottish Parliament spokesman said: “Ms Lamont said that she accepted the chairs’ ruling and the Presiding Officer considers the matter closed.”
A spokesman for the First Minister said the matter would not be pursued further.
He added: “If the PO is happy then we are happy.”
Mr Salmond came under fire over plans for an independent Scotland to have a Norwegian-style oil fund during the encounter.
Labour and the Tories both attacked the SNP leader over the proposals, which could see cash from North Sea oil and gas revenues invested in two separate funds if there is a Yes vote in next year’s referendum.
It emerged the Scottish Government has been warned such a move could lead to tax rises or cuts in public spending.
Papers prepared for ministers, released under Freedom of Information, said if the government “had wished to establish an oil fund, it would have had to reduce public spending, increase taxation or increase public-sector borrowing”.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson claimed the “bad stuff” from the advisory papers had “hit the bin” when economics experts in the Fiscal Commission Working Group produced their report.
“It’s the Alastair Campbell school of dodgy dossier writing,” she said.
Mr Salmond insisted setting up a fund to help counteract volatility in the oil sector was “very sensible”.
Plans to establish two oil funds a short-term one to help deal with fluctuations in oil and gas revenues and a long-term savings fund in an independent Scotland have already been revealed.
The First Minister said: “Nobody seriously would argue the UK has handled oil well as a resource over the last 40 years.
“Nobody would seriously dispute that Norway, the country across the North Sea, has handled that resource much better.
“Scotland has the opportunity over the next 40 years and we’re not going to make the same mistakes as the past.”