Douglas Ross: 'Boris Johnson used rude words after I told him to resign'

Boris Johnson was angry and used “rude” words when he was told to resign, Douglas Ross has said.

The Scottish Conservative leader called for Johnson to quit as prime minister after reports of parties held in Downing Street during the Covid pandemic.

Ross said in January that Johnson’s role was “no longer tenable” after the prime minister admitted that he had attended a law-breaking gathering.

The MP for Moray spoke with the prime minister before stating publicly that he should quit.

During an Edinburgh Festival Fringe event, Ross was asked about the reaction of Johnson at the time.

He told LBC broadcaster Iain Dale that the prime minister used “rude” words in response.

“Because I was one of the first senior figures to tell the Prime Minister to resign, he was not particularly pleased with that,” Ross said.

“He was angry, one of his MPs was saying they no longer had confidence in him, I think it would be a difficult conversation to have for any party leader to have your MPs telling you that, particularly when you’re the Prime Minister – that ratchets it up a notch.”

When asked if Mr Johnson had used “Latin words” – a euphemism for swearing – Ross said: “They were rude, they weren’t necessarily Latin.”