The First Minister admitted she is going through “difficult issues” with her former mentor during a flying visit to the House of Commons where she met with SNP MPs.

But the First Minister was accused of “grandstanding” over Brexit in an effort to draw attention away from the open hostility of recent days with Mr Salmond and his allies.

Asked if she believed her own job was on the line, Ms Sturgeon responded: “No, I don’t.

Allegations that Alex Salmond sexually harassed two women have been followed by an outbreak of civil war between two factions in the SNP. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images

Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond agree to co-operate with Holyrood inquiry

“I think it’s a moment in history for us all to be focused on the best interests of the country. With regards to Alex Salmond, there are investigations underway, which should be allowed now to take their course.”

The First Minister added: “I’ve been a friend and colleague of Alex Salmond for 30 years, for most of my life.

“Obviously there are difficult issues that we’re confronting around that at the moment. There are a number of inquiries underway and it would not be appropriate for me to comment further while they are ongoing.”

The Scottish Parliament announced it would stage an inquiry into the botched Government handling of a probe into two claims of sexual harassment against the former First Minister made by female civil servants.

Mr Salmond has denied the claims.

He won a dramatic court victory last week over the Government, which was found to have acted unlawfully in its handling of the case.

Former Lord Advocate Dame Elish Angiolini is also to head up a separate inquiry into claims that Ms Sturgeon breached ministerial rules over a series of meetings and phone calls with her predecessor while the Government probe was taking place.

Realtions have plummeted between the two SNP luminaries with Ms Sturgeon accusing the Salmond camp of a “smear campaign”. The ex-First Minister says he is the victim of attempts to remove him as a “political threat”.

Scottish Conservative chief whip Maurice Golden accused Ms Sturgeon of “playing political” games over her trip to London to distract from the row over the Salmond affair.

He said: “Before people were even out of bed this morning, she was seeking to use last night’s vote to bang on about independence.

“Then she hot-footed it to Westminster, clearing calculating that grandstanding in Westminster might help distract people from her role in the Alex Salmond scandal.

“Finally, after accusing others of being delusional, she then insisted her job is not on the line over the affair. It is the First Minister who appears increasingly detached from reality.”

Nicola Sturgeon insists job not on the line over Alex Salmond row