OFCOM have launched an investigation into a Sky News interview with the outgoing leader of the Scottish Conservatives Douglas Ross during the election.
The watchdog launched an investigation into the broadcaster’s coverage of the election on June 10, when Ross spoke about quitting as party leader.
He announced his intention to stand down citing difficulties being an MP, an MSP and Scottish Conservative leader, and faced backlash over his to decision to run in the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat, before losing it to the SNP.
An Ofcom spokeswoman said: “We are investigating whether this programme broke our rules around election coverage.”
The Ofcom rules on elections and referendums state that “due weight must be given to the coverage of parties” during the period before polling day and “due impartiality must be strictly maintained”, where the matter relates to a constituency.
It also says a candidate must “not be given the opportunity to make constituency points” if “no other candidates will be given a similar opportunity”.
Ross (below) told Sky News in June that he denied the decision to leave his position as Scottish Tory leader was to do with his own political ambitions, and referenced his commitment to the people of the constituency he was running for.
He said: “No, I don’t think anyone looking at me announcing today that I’m standing down as leader would necessarily come to that conclusion.
“What I am doing today is taking a decision, reflecting on comments made by colleagues and others, to focus fully on the people of Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.”
He told the broadcaster the situation with former Scotland Office minister David Duguid hoping to fight the seat was “a very difficult one”.
The Scottish Conservative management board – which Ross is part of – had ruled that ill health meant Duguid could not stand for election.
Ross had previously said publicly he would not seek re-election to Westminster, to focus on his priorities in Holyrood as Scottish Tory leader.
It was alleged recently by The Telegraph that he told Kathleen Robertson in 2023 that his “heart was in Westminster, not Holyrood”, and asked to replace her as a Tory candidate for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey.
It claims she refused the request after being promised selection as a Holyrood candidate in 2026.
Sky News responded with no comment.
