Douglas Ross to resign as leader of Scottish Conservatives

Douglas Ross has declared his intention to step down from his role as head of the Scottish Conservatives.

He will continue to perform his duties until the end of the election and if he secures a position at Westminster, he will step down as an MSP.

There has been a disagreement regarding Mr. Ross' candidacy for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East instead of the original choice, David Duguid, who is currently hospitalized and has effectively been removed from the selection process.

According to Mr Ross, his initial belief was that he could simultaneously carry out his duties as an MSP, MP and party leader. However, after some consideration, he has come to the conclusion that this is not a realistic goal.

Out of all the MSPs in the present Holyrood session, he was the lone individual who also held a position of being an MP until the UK Parliament was dissolved.

The person named Mr Duguid, who was in charge of Banff and Buchan since 2017, was officially chosen by the members of the local party. He disagreed with the claims that he has a severe sickness.

The previous week, a high-ranking member of the Conservative Party stated that Mr. Ross could not continue in his role and that his decision-making during the issue was severely inadequate.

A Scottish Conservative representative informed BBC News on Monday that Mr. Ross had acknowledged that the party's MSPs would not tolerate him holding the positions of an MP and an MSP simultaneously.

They also mentioned that the response to his announcement of running in replacement of Mr. Duguid was another contributing aspect.

According to Mr. Ross, he is fully dedicated to "battling and emerging victorious" in the freshly demarcated Westminster constituency.

He stated that if he were to have the privilege of representing the individuals and societies of this newly formed region, he would shift his total focus and attention towards becoming their Member of Parliament (MP).

"I have decided to step down as the leader once the successor is elected after the upcoming election scheduled on 4th July. Even if I win the seat, I will resign from my position as an MSP to provide the opportunity for another Scottish Conservative member to represent in the Holyrood."

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, expressed that he had a positive experience collaborating with Mr. Ross. However, he acknowledges and accepts his decision to resign.

According to him, they have both been strong supporters of the union. They have also collaborated in establishing two freeports in Scotland to create employment opportunities and attract investments. Additionally, they have opposed the SNP's misguided gender identification reforms and have always supported Scotland's north sea energy industry, which no other party has consistently done.

I believe Douglas has accomplished something he can take pride in.

Over the weekend, Mr. Ross faced scrutiny after the Sunday Mail disclosed that his advisors had expressed unease about 28 travel claims he made as a member of parliament that may have been linked to his sideline job as a football linesman.

He mentioned that the independent parliamentary group IPSA had approved the expenses claims and he would not object if the expenses were looked into again.

Mr Ross was elected as a Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) representing Highlands and Islands through the list system back in 2016.

After Jackson Carlaw's surprising departure, he swiftly ascended to the position of leader of the Scottish Conservatives in August of 2020.

According to Mr. Carlaw, the party requires someone with a "fresh and youthful perspective" to guide them towards the upcoming Scottish Parliament election.

During that period, Mr. Ross was regarded as a trusted supporter of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who communicated with him soon after becoming the leader, even though Mr. Ross was against leaving the European Union during the referendum.

Although, there were instances when he expressed disapproval of Boris Johnson's competence as a leader.

Prior to becoming the leader of Scottish Conservatives, he had stepped down from his position as a minister in the Scotland Office. This decision came about when Dominic Cummings, an adviser to the Prime Minister, refused to resign for breaking lockdown rules by traveling from London to Durham.

During the first month of 2022, Mr. Ross retracted his endorsement of Boris Johnson, stating that the Prime Minister's stance had grown "unsustainable" in light of lockdown festivities, and he urged a motion of no confidence.

He changed his stance later on during the Ukrainian war, citing his concern that domestic turmoil could benefit Vladimir Putin.

Mr Ross changed his mind and ultimately supported the vote of no confidence in Mr Johnson's leadership, despite initially being in favor of it.

If a political leader decides to step down amidst an ongoing election campaign, it's a clear indication that a significant mishap has taken place.

Douglas Ross took over from David Duguid as the Conservative candidate in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East during the general election, as Duguid was hospitalized at the time.

A few individuals felt uneasy about the appearance of the leader of the party coming in swiftly, especially since their colleague was unwell.

The Conservative MSPs at Holyrood were extremely displeased with the proposition to continue serving as both an MP and MSP.

Prior to this, Douglas Ross had made a commitment that he would not engage in such behavior.

Last week, a Scottish Tory member informed me that the reception had been unpleasant, akin to being drenched in freezing vomit.

If elected to Westminster again, Mr Ross will resign from Holyrood. A few of his fellow politicians believe that his true passion has always been there.

He felt more stressed out this weekend and it could have gotten worse after the newspaper published a story about his spending.

The choice he made will have an effect on the campaign across the entire UK. Rishi Sunak did not consider that his Scottish leader would resign just before the election.

The last roster of contenders for the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East electoral district was released last Friday.

Ian Bailey is vying for a position with the Liberal Democrats party, while Andy Brown is running for the Labour party. Jo Hart is representing Reform UK in the upcoming election, Seamus Logan is competing on behalf of the SNP, and Douglas Ross is seeking a seat with the Conservative party.

After Mr Ross made his statement, Seamus Logan, the SNP's nominee for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, urged him to step down from his role as an MSP.

He expressed that it is obvious that the Scottish Tory leader was compelled to step down due to his disgraceful actions regarding David Duguid and the increasing scandal of his expenses. The people who vote deserve a committed MSP who does not follow a strategy of safeguarding his interests in case he does not win in the election.

According to the leader of Alba, Alex Salmond, this is the initial incident where a rat has left a sinking boat but attempted to climb onto a train carrying gravy.

He requested that Mr. Ross step down as a contender for the Westminster position, stating that he had no integrity whatsoever.

The vice-leader of Scottish Labour, Jackie Baillie, expressed well wishes to Mr. Ross for his future endeavors while keeping her critique focused on the UK government and Conservative party.

According to her, the electorate is aware that the current Conservative administration is not capable of providing Scotland with anything worthwhile. It is, therefore, not surprising that Douglas Ross has abandoned his efforts to revive the struggling campaign of the Scottish Tories.

According to Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP who leads the Scottish Liberal Democrats, this action displays evidence that the party's current state is in complete disorganization.

He stated that much like the SNP, the Conservatives have been ruling for an excessive amount of time, disobeying regulations and assuming your loyalty.

Lorna Slater, who shares leadership of the Scottish Greens, stated in an interview with BBC News that it has always been unclear about what Mr. Ross' main focus was, given his involvement as an MSP, MP, and a football linesman.

In her words, she stated that the Conservative party, both in the United Kingdom and Scotland, is in a dire situation and is unlikely to recover. Therefore, whoever assumes the position of leader for the Scottish Conservatives is facing a challenging and unrewarding job.