THE SNP have urged Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross to “grow a backbone” and whip MPs to vote in favour of sanctions against Boris Johnson.
The former prime minister was found by the Privileges Committee to have knowingly misled Parliament in his denials of partygate, with the panel recommending a 90-day suspension, had he not already stepped down as an MP.
Johnson, the committee said, should also not receive a pass for the Parliamentary estate, as is the custom for ex-MPs.
Ross, who sits as an MP as well as an MSP, has been criticised for his stance on Johnson, after being one of the first senior party members to call for his resignation over parties held during the pandemic.
He subsequently rescinded those calls after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but eventually voted against the then-prime minister in a confidence vote which precipitated his departure.
And, Ross's words came back to haunt him this week, as he had previously called Johnson an "honest man".
Does Douglas Ross regret calling Boris Johnson an "honest man", and will he miss him now he's gone? I spoke to him after FMQs to find out... pic.twitter.com/w2xUgxK1lI
— Abbi Garton-Crosbie (@agc_reports) June 15, 2023
He declined to answer when asked by The National if he still believed this to be the case, following the committee's publication of the report.
The SNP’s deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black sought to use the sanctions to attack Ross, calling on him to whip Scottish Tory MPs to vote in favour of the punishment.
It is not clear what power, if any, Ross has to instruct Scottish MPs on their vote in the Commons and it has been reported that all Tory members have been allowed a “single line whip” by the party, meaning they do not have to vote.
Black said: “Douglas Ross must finally grow a backbone and whip his MPs to vote for tough sanctions against his disgraced former leader Boris Johnson.
“It’s well known that Mr Ross lacks authority with Scottish Tory MSPs and MPs, who are discontent with his poor leadership.
“He might be desperate to avoid a leadership challenge but failing to whip his MPs will only make him look even weaker.
“Mr Ross can’t hide from the fact that he and his Tory colleagues put a serial liar into Number 10 – and repeatedly backed Johnson, despite all the damage he inflicted on Scotland.”
The SNP MP went further, calling on Ross to back the scrapping of Johnson’s resignation honours list, the cancelling of his allowance offered to former prime ministers, and the recouping of legal fees incurred.
“Johnson might have left Parliament but the toxic legacy of Westminster continues – with yet another out-of-touch Tory Prime Minister imposing Brexit, cuts and attacks on Scottish devolution,” she added.
Ross told The National in Holyrood on Thursday: "On Monday, my final role in this as a Member of Parliament is to either agree with the recommendations or to oppose them.
"Now, we've already heard from some MPs that they are going to be opposing that on Monday, I won't be one of them."
