Alex Salmond has accused critics of being overly “sensitive” after he caused controversy by saying her “preferred people of faith”.

The former First Minister conceded he “could have made the point better” during an interview about the Time for Reflection session at the Scottish Parliament but insisted his comments were taken out of context.

In a video with Rev Stuart MacQuarrie, Church of Scotland chaplain to the University of Glasgow, Mr Salmond said: “I am biased, of course, because I am a Church of Scotland adherent and I prefer people of faith to people of no faith or people who have lost their faith.”

That attracted criticism from the likes of the National Secular Society, whose campaigns manager Stephen Evans accused him of using “divisive rhetoric” which would “dismayanyone interested in building a tolerant and inclusive Scotland.”

But in his exclusive Courier column, the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesman said: “All I was trying to say is that I prefer when people are able to believe in something rather than believe in nothing.

“I could have made the point better of course. Fair enough. But why would the secular society and others want to overlook a lifetime of treating people equally to jump down my throat over a single sentence?

“Or to put it another way what exactly is it that they fear about religious faith which makes them so sensitive?”

Pick up a copy of Monday’s Courier, or try our online edition, for the full column, which also includes the ex-SNP leader’s views on the refugee crisis and the Queen.