Douglas Ross accuses Presiding Officer of bias after expulsion from chamber

Former Tory leader Douglas Ross has accused Holyrood’s Presiding Officer of bias after he was expelled from the parliament chamber on Thursday.

Ross could be heard shouting from his seat in the chamber after John Swinney raised the impact of Brexit on farmers during FMQs.

Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone said Ross had “persistently refused to abide by standing orders”, and he was asked to leave immediately for the rest of the day.

Speaking after his expulsion, Ross said he was feeling “very frustrated” and said the incident had raised “serious questions” about Johnstone’s neutrality.

“I was urging [John Swinney] to answer the question [from Russell Findlay], and then out of no where and without any warning Alison Johnstone decided to eject me from the chamber,” the former Tory leader said.

“For a member to be expelled from the chamber with no warning at all, I think may be unprecedented.”

He added: “I think she has to answer why she will refuse to give some members a warning. Yet we saw later on in the session, I am told, that other members were warned about their behaviour and allowed to remain in the chamber. That does raise serious questions about her neutrality.”

It’s not the first time Johnstone has admonished Ross for his conduct and behaviour in the Scottish Parliament chamber.

In recent weeks, Ross has been warned multiple times by the Presiding Officer to stop heckling his colleagues from the side-lines.

However, Ross emphasised that other MSPs – including the First Minister and other Government Ministers – have also been given warnings about shouting from their seats during questions and debates.

Immediately after he was asked to leave the chamber, Ross said he asked to meet with Johnstone and with the chief executive to discuss the incident.

“There are genuine questions about where we go from here and how Alison Johnstone is going to treat Conservative members in particular,” Ross said.

“There have been concerns raised outwith this building about how she treats conservative MSPs compared to Government Ministers and Green MSPs, for example. And since this happened at lunchtime, I’ve had senior members from other parties saying that Alison Johnstone risks losing support within the chamber for her actions.”

The Presiding Officer refused to comment on her decision to exclude Ross when approached by journalists as she left the chamber on Thursday.

A Scottish Parliament spokesperson said Johnstone has “warned Mr Ross on repeated occasions recently about his behaviour in the chamber”.

They said this occurred most recently on May 21, and also on May 8 – when the Presiding Officer told Ross “if I hear you once more, you will leave this chamber” – and on both April 22 and April 3.

The spokesperson said: “Due to his persistent refusal to respect the rules of Parliament, the member was asked to leave the chamber. This suspension is for the remainder of the day.”