Douglas Ross faces plot to oust him as he ‘loses support of half of Tory MSPs’

Douglas Ross faces an orchestrated campaign to oust him as Scottish Tory leader if he refuses to quit immediately, with party sources claiming he has already lost the support of half of his MSPs.

In a series of interviews, senior figures shone a light on the extraordinary civil war engulfing the Conservatives, with claims of leadership candidates planting “hit pieces” against each other and conspiracies over party staff interfering in campaigns.

Meanwhile, Ross has been accused of being “missing in action”, with his group at Holyrood not meeting since the general election and anger over a lack of contact with those unhappy at the result.

It comes following days of turmoil after it emerged Ross privately asked Kathleen Robertson, the Moray Council leader, if she would step aside for him to stand in Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey.

He allegedly offered her a seat at Holyrood instead, something she rejected, and said he wanted Russell Findlay to replace him as leader.

Tory turmoil over revelations

Furious MSPs say it shows Ross was saying one thing in public about quitting Westminster to focus on Holyrood, while secretly plotting a route back as early as summer last year.

The revelation led to the resignation of his deputy, Meghan Gallacher, and a joint statement from the four other leadership candidates who questioned the “transparency and fairness” of the contest.

Announcing her resignation, Gallacher said she was “deeply troubled” by claims that could risk the reputation of the party.

Ross will step down when a new leader is chosen in around six weeks but Jackson Carlaw, who preceded him as leader, said on Friday that his position is now “unsustainable” and called for him to go immediately.

Senior party figures say he will face a coordinated plot if he refuses to step down, including further high profile calls for his resignation and a “more formal representation” to party bosses.

One MSP said: “I think the revelation that he was attempting to feather his own nest at the expense of a new local candidate is astonishing. Just awful behaviour.

“Even now he is not listening and it appears there’s no remorse or acknowledgement of wrongdoing at all.

“I would suggest around half of the group thinks he should go now. There might be more on that in due course.

“The gravitas of Jackson calling for him to go should be enough for Douglas to recognise wrongdoing and his own failings.”

Leadership hopefuls ‘throwing rocks’

Party rules mean the group at Holyrood would have little recourse if Ross decides to dig in his heels and stay on.

Whoever does take over faces the difficult task of uniting a party that has experienced increasing levels of infighting during a tumultuous leadership race.

Several individuals close to the contest accused rivals of “throwing rocks” through the media.

It has also been claimed senior party staff are interfering in the campaign by drafting policies and writing opinion columns – an accusation rubbished as “baseless and conspiratorial guff” by one source.

Ross announced his surprise resignation during the general election.

He had faced sustained criticism for his decision to serve as an MP at Westminster and as an MSP at Holyrood, while also working as a football referee.

Ross promised to quit Westminster and focus on his job as Scottish Tory leader but angered party members by then replacing hospitalised David Duguid in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East – only to be defeated by the SNP.

‘Missing in action’

One party figure said he had not heard from Ross since his loss at the election.

He said: “Douglas is missing in action. He didn’t even phone the candidates who lost in our target seats.

“I haven’t spoken to him and I don’t believe he’s spoken to any of the people who are unhappy following the general election.”

Ross insisted his plan to stay on until a new successor is chosen “will not change.”

He added: “We now have an agreed process in place and in just 41 days a new leader will be elected by the members from across the country.

“I have deliberately said nothing about any of the candidates or the process to maintain my neutrality during the contest, and again that will not change.”