KATE Forbes has hit back at Douglas Ross after comments he made about her at the Tory party conference in Manchester.
The Scottish Conservative leader suggested “a number” of SNP backbenchers have spoken with him about “ways that parliament” can hold the Scottish Government to account.
Although he failed to be specific by naming any MSPs, he singled out Kate Forbes (below) for praise.
He also added that his party would provide a space for anyone who wanted to end the Bute House Agreement between the SNP and Scottish Greens.
On Forbes, Ross said: “Kate Forbes and others… have raised serious concerns about the SNP leadership and the direction of this Scottish Government.”
He added: “’I’ve made it very clear, if I can see there is an opportunity to have a vote in the Scottish Parliament to end the Bute House Agreement, then I hope some of those dissenting voices in the SNP would get behind that and vote the Greens out of office.”
Forbes has been critical of some Scottish Government policies, including the recently scrapped plans for Highly Protected Marine Areas.
However, writing on Twitter/X, she said: “Douglas ‘three jobs’ Ross hardly spends any time in Scot Parl or speaking to his own party colleagues.
“Which is only one of the many, many reasons why I’ve never said more than a passing hello to him since he was elected.
“Conference hyperbole compensating for a failed Tory Gov.”
Ross declined to reveal the names of any of the MSPs which had approached him or even say how many had raised concerns.
“I am saying I have been contacted and I have had discussions with backbench members of the SNP”, he said.
“They’ve come to me and we’ve had this discussion and I think it just shows that what I’ve been articulating here at the Conservative Party conference about the areas of Scotland that have been forgotten by the SNP is clear not just to me, but members of the SNP.”
