Neither Prime Minister Tony Blair nor his successor, Chancellor Gordon Brown, have made any direct contact yet with Alex Salmond since he became Scotland's First Minister.
Mr Blair spent two hours with Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi yesterday, but has not found time over the past three weeks to send a message to Bute House.
BBC Scotland yesterday established that Mr Brown had been quick to congratulate Rhodri Morgan after his appointment as First Minister in Wales last Friday, but had still made no contact with Mr Salmond.
Indeed the Chancellor took questions during a visit to a factory in Dunfermline, but then blanked a follow-up question about how he planned to deal with the Scottish First Minister, abruptly turning his back and getting into his limousine.
Tom McCabe, the former finance minister at Holyrood, defended the Prime Minister's stance, telling the BBC: "I don't think Tony Blair has a great deal of respect for Alex Salmond as First Minister."
Asked about the continuing failure of Mr Blair to make any contact with Mr Salmond, Jack McConnell replied by referring to past digs at him by the SNP: "I never liked the leader of the opposition's comments on my relationship with the Prime Minister, but I am not going to comment on Mr Salmond's.
"It is entirely a matter for them to resolve."
Ironically, dealings between Mr Salmond and other political leaders grew apace yesterday. One of the first to get in touch with the SNP leader after his election victory had been Ulster's First Minister, the Rev Ian Paisley.
It was announced last night that there will be an official visit by Mr Salmond to Belfast on June 18.
Yesterday it was also revealed that on Monday the First Minister had contacted Dublin to congratulate Bertie Ahern on his third successive election success.
That prompted an invitation to Mr Salmond from the Taoiseach to pay an official visit to Ireland.
The First Minister's spokesman said yesterday: "No date has been set yet for that visit, but it's likely to be sooner rather than later."
The cabinet met at Bute House yesterday and among the issues agreed was that Mr Salmond and his Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill should meet senior Conservatives this week to discuss proposals to tighten control of sex offenders.
The meeting will take place ahead of a Holyrood debate on the issue, scheduled for June 7.
The First Minister's spokesman said: "They will look at whether they can find some common ground on the way forward."
There will also be a debate next week on SNP proposals to halt closure of accident and emergency units in hospitals, which was a major issue during the recent election campaign.
An aide to Mr Salmond said yesterday: "The Scottish government has made it clear that we seek a positive and constructive relationship with the Westminster government and we very much hope and expect that this will be reciprocated.
"People in Scotland would expect that at the very least such a courtesy between senior people at Westminster and Holyrood would be observed."
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