STV NewsA former Scottish Conservative leader has suggested Douglas Ross should resign with immediate effect following a day of turmoil in his party.
Jackson Carlaw, who preceded Ross, said his position was “unsustainable” and called for “propriety” and “order” to be restored.
The Eastwood MSP, who served as Scottish Tory leader from 2019 until 2020, was reacting to the announcement by Meghan Gallacher that she would resign as the party’s deputy leader.
That came after four out of the six MSPs running to replace Ross signed a letter calling for the current leader to answer “serious questions” over “disbursing claims” made in a newspaper.
The Telegraph reported on Friday that Ross had asked a candidate running in the General Election to step aside for him to contest the constituency, despite publicly saying he would focus on Holyrood.
He allegedly offered her a seat at Holyrood instead, something she rejected, and said he wanted Russell Findlay to replace him as leader.
Announcing her resignation as deputy, Gallacher said she was “deeply troubled” by the claims that could “risk the reputation” of the party.
She also said she was unable to do media interviews for the party while running for the leadership.
Responding to her post, Carlaw said: “Following this and other developments and acting as a former leader, I spoke with both the chairman and Douglas Ross and made plain my view that the current leader’s position is unsustainable.
“The responsibility to act and allow propriety & order to be restored is now clear and urgent.”
Ross rejected those calls. Writing half an hour later on X, formerly Twitter, he said: “In 42 days we will have a new leader of the Scottish Tories.
“As outlined in June, I will remain leader until my successor is elected.”
Ross denied the claims that he tried to replace Moray Council leader Kathleen Robertson in Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey.
The allegations sparked four candidates – Murdo Fraser, Brian Whittle, Liam Kerr and Jamie Greene – to write a letter demanding that “serious questions” be answered.
The leadership contenders said they need answers to allow the contest to “proceed”.
Findlay, the favourite to replace Ross, did not sign the letter.
He said he had no knowledge of the meeting between Ross and Robertson, adding: “I am standing to change our party and recent developments underline why change is so necessary”.
Ross did contest a Westminster seat, to the anger of some in his party, when he replaced David Duguid in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, which he lost to the SNP.
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