As RAF jets began bombing Islamic State (IS), Mr Salmond launched his own attack on Hilary Benn for supporting military action.
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At the same time he issued a warning to Mr Corbyn’s critics in the Labour ranks that some of them had gone “too far” in their public denunciations of the leader.
Mr Benn, tipped as a possible successor to Mr Corbyn, had led a shadow cabinet rebellion against the Labour leader that forced him to concede a free vote for his MPs.
Corbyn supporters feeling gutted that many Labour MPs, including 11 shadow cabinet members, chose to back the Tories’ war lust should remember this reality. My view is that we must now confront this evil.
Throughout the debate, MPs have been lobbied by Stop the War – which Corbyn chaired until recently – and Momentum, the movement of Corbyn supporters set up after the leadership campaign, to vote against the bombing.
He added: “The whole business of let’s deselect, all of that, let’s just get rid of that language, let’s talk about taking out the Conservative Government, let’s not talk about trying to diminish the number of Labour MPs”.
That destabilisation process will continue because some MPs, with links to past leaders, can not reconcile themselves to the fact that almost 60 per cent backed “nowhere man” Corbyn, sick to the back teeth of a Labour Party committed to overseas wars, capitalist austerity and serving the City of London.
“If this was a referendum on Jeremy Corbyn, then he has won. The selection of candidates is entirely a matter for local party members and rightly so”.
In the email, they said: “Politics must be conducted in a better way – more civil and more respectful”.
Corbyn’s overwhelming victory was all the more remarkable for his struggle to secure the 35 nominating Labour MPs for his name to appear on the ballot paper, illustrating how out of touch many are.
“The idea that people are held to account – both by the electors in general elections, but also by the party that put them there – is a perfectly reasonable democratic discussion”, he added.
Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary, told Mr Benn: “That will go down as one of the truly great speeches made in this House of Commons”.
He said there had been some “reprehensible comments from those involved in it but also intimidation of MPs and particularly intimidation of female Labour MPs”.
“I hope they can reflect on the result in Oldham last night and the hard week Labour has had and realise we have got to swing together”.
Mr Salmond came under fire following a radio interview in which he was asked about Mr Benn’s powerful speech at the end of Wednesday’s debate which many believe played a critical role in persuading Labour MPs to defy Jeremy Corbyn and support Mr Cameron’s motion.
Mr Cameron is under fresh pressure over his claims that 70,000 fighters in Syria would be able to take on IS. “We never have and never will walk by on the other side of the road”. “And do we go after these terrorists in their heartlands from where they are plotting to kill British people or do we sit back and wait for them to attack us?”
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He added: ” The strikes actually help to bring about a political settlement because the strikes take the action to Daesh, which is everyone’s enemy, and we do need to have a moderate opposition in Syria that can be part of the future government.
