David Starkey compares Alex Salmond to Adolf Hitler Dr David Starkey told an audience convened by centre-right think tank The Bow Group last night that Mr Salmond is a "Caledonian Hitler." According to the Huffington Post website, Mr Starkey said: "If you think about it, Alex Salmond is a democratic Caledonian Hitler, although some would say Hitler was more democratically elected. (For him) the English, like the Jews, are everywhere. Bow Group council member Nic Conner, who attended the event, confirmed the comments, although he maintained that they had been taken out of context. He said: "Dr Starkey began by questioning some of the myths surrounding Alex Salmond: the political myth that he is one of the greatest political leaders of our time when what he has done is all a trick, tapping into nationalism and the idea of a common enemy, in this case the English. He then compared this, somewhat unfortunately, to Hitler. Mr Conner said it was a "balanced meeting" with speeches by Shami Chakrabarti, director of civil rights group Liberty, and Dr Kwasi Kwarteng MP. The Bow Group exists to develop policy, publish research and stimulate debate within the Conservative Party. Its events are publicised, although a spokesman said they are normally held under the "Chatham House Rule" where discussions are confidential to encourage openness and debate. However, the spokesman said this is becoming increasingly redundant in the age of Twitter and social networking. A spokesman for the First Minister said: "This offensive nonsense is actually an insult to Scotland and to the people of Scotland. David Starkey is getting dafter and crankier with every passing day. His litany of offensive comments are designed only to provoke outrage, and thankfully England is blessed with a great number of far better historians than him. We can count ourselves lucky that David Starkey is nowhere near the teaching of history in Scottish schools. In the words of Robert Burns, Scots will 'look and laugh' at this nonsense. Scottish Labour business manager Paul Martin said: "These comments are uncalled for and have no place in any political discourse. These are just the latest in a series of wayward ramblings from David Starkey about politics and wider public life which smack of attention-seeking and have left him thoroughly discredited. To be honest, I would no sooner ask his advice on matters of state than I would my cat on matters of dentistry. Dr Starkey caused controversy during last summer's English riots when he said a section of white society "have become black," adding that "a particular sort of violent, destructive, nihilistic gangster culture has become the fashion." In January, Labour MP Tom Harris stepped down from his role as the party's social media adviser in Scotland after he created an online video portraying Mr Salmond as Hitler. The following month, Mr Salmond faced criticism for using a term linked to officials in Nazi Germany to describe a BBC adviser who withdrew his invitation to comment on a rugby match. Mr Salmond insisted the term in question, "Gauleiter," is common parlance for "an overbearing wielder of petty authority." A senior Labour source indicated Lord Sugar would not face disciplinary action over the comments. "There is a long history of Lord Sugar and Ken Livingstone not being the best of friends," the source said. Lord Sugar was not recommending people vote for any of Ken's opponents. He is a Labour peer but Lord Sugar's views are very much his own. Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said: "This is a man who makes his living by making insults and building up his own notoriety. Every time he opens his mouth he causes offence to someone. Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: "If this is the sort of trash he is going to serve up, then broadcasters, in particular, should make sure they don't put him on any TV programmes from now on. He can't be taken seriously as any sort of academic. Scottish Green Party co-convenor Patrick Harvie said: "Starkey's latest infantile comments are among the most absurd I've ever heard - and I've sat through his Question Time performances. Most people know that I'm no great pal of Alex Salmond, but Scotland's national identity has always been inclusive and multicultural, and I believe that the First Minister is proud of that, just as we all should be.