NICOLA Sturgeon’s chief of staff rowed with the BBC after it emerged Donald Trump's former strategist Steve Bannon had been invited to speak at the same event as the First Minister.

Liz Lloyd hit out at the broadcaster’s “naivety” and insisted she was “personally let down” by the move, which led to Ms Sturgeon pulling out of the conference last month.

In a series of email exchanges with BBC bosses, she wrote: “It is quite unbelievable, but regrettably not surprising, the BBC considers this an appropriate approach to take.”

Ms Sturgeon was due to speak at the News Xchange 2018 conference in Edinburgh earlier this month, but pulled out after it emerged Mr Bannon had also been invited to attend.

She tweeted at the time: “I believe passionately in free speech but as Scotland’s First Minister I have to make balanced judgements – and I will not be part of any process that risks legitimising or normalising far right, racist views.

“The email the BBC sent to my office justifying Bannon’s inclusion described him as a ‘powerful and influential figure … promoting an anti-elite movement’.

“This kind of language to describe views that many would describe as fascist does seem to me to run the risk of normalisation.”

Mr Bannon, who was previously one of Donald Trump’s key aides, was interviewed on stage by BBC Scotland editor Sarah Smith.

The move proved controversial due to his continuing role in championing right-wing populism around the world.

While the media conference was co-hosted by the BBC, it said the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) had invited Mr Bannon.

In emails released under Freedom of Information legislation, Ms Lloyd said giving the strategist a platform “provides an opportunity to amplify the alt-right and fake news messages”.

She wrote: “I appreciate that inviting someone like that to the conference provides a certain shock value and no doubt a buzz that you would wish to generate.”

The BBC insisted “shock factor” was not something it factored into its agenda setting.

Ms Lloyd later continued: “As you know when we originally discussed this I agreed it was an excellent opportunity.

“And it is with regret that we are now having to forego it. I have to say I feel quite personally let down by the position we’ve been put in.”

She said the invitation to Mr Bannon had put the First Minister in an “intolerable position”.

A Scottish Tory spokesman accused Ms Sturgeon’s team of a “heavy-handed attack” on the BBC.

He said: “How ironic that in attacking the BBC for inviting Mr Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon, Nicola Sturgeon’s aide displays all the hallmarks of Mr Trump’s own bullying attacks on a free media.”