Mr Salmond said she had a long and turbulent history with the party and she could no longer count on its generosity.

Ms MacDonald was effectively deselected when she was chosen as the party's candidate for the "unwinnable" Edinburgh South constituency and placed fifth on the Lothians regional list.

The Lothians MSP conceded that she had lost the confidence of her constituency party and has attacked opponents who allegedly launched a campaign against her.

Alex Salmond: "Modicum of loyalty"

In an interview on BBC Scotland's Newsnight Scotland programme, Mr Salmond said he had been the only leader that the current veteran MSP could work with.

And he pondered whether the difficulties she has experienced rested more with her than with the party.

Mr Salmond said: "It's true I'm the only SNP leader Margo's ever been able to live with.

"She resigned under Gordon Wilson, she stayed in under me and she resigned under John Swinney.

"She's been in out, in out, it's like the hokey cokey and now, presumably, she's going to shake it all about."

Margo will enjoy her day in the limelight, Margo likes nothing more than a camera stuck in her face, not that that's a bad thing for a politician

Alex Salmond

Mr Salmond said the party had been "generous" in letting the MSP back in when he was leader and he added: "I think it's got a lot more to do with Margo than the SNP."

He said: "I think there is an expectation there'll be just a modicum of loyalty to the overall party.

"Margo's found that concept difficult. She's found it difficult before. I don't think we should be that surprised that she finds it difficult now."

Asked what she could do now, the Banff and Buchan MP said: "Margo will enjoy her day in the limelight, Margo likes nothing more than a camera stuck in her face, not that that's a bad thing for a politician.

Margo MacDonald: No comment on attack

"I'm sure she'll do the dance of the seven veils to keep everybody anxiously waiting for the future movements of Margo, while she goes on holiday."

Ms MacDonald made little comment on Mr Salmond's remarks but was clearly stung.

She said: "I'm thinking what a charmer he (Mr Salmond) is and I bet he hated having that camera stuck in his face.

"I don't want to comment on anything he's said. You see if I attack a party colleague in the way in which he has impugned me, my reputation, my motives and my credibility, I can be up for discipline, so I won't do so.

"He seemed to assume that I was out of the party which of course I'm not, I'm an SNP member of the Scottish Parliament."

Ms MacDonald said she still had a lot of support but she could not win the constituency with a "divided team" .