ONE of the only Scottish Tory MPs not to vote against Boris Johnson has been asked to reveal his “price” for supporting the Prime Minister – after it was revealed at least one confidence vote appeared to have been bought by funding promises.
David Duguid (below), the MP for Banff and Buchan, was the only Scottish Conservative MP other than Alister Jack, Johnson’s Scotland Secretary.
It has led to accusations his support was bought after fellow Johnson-backer Bob Seely, the MP for the Isle of Wight said he only voted to keep the Prime Minister in post after ministers told him they would improve funding for the island.
Karen Adam (below), the SNP MSP for Banffshire and the Buchan Coast said Seely had “gave the game away” and claimed the Government was “buying off” MPs to secure the shaky foundations of Johnson’s support.
The Prime Minister narrowly survived a vote of no-confidence earlier this month, with 41% of his MPs – including all bar two of their Scottish MPs – voting to boot him from office.
Adam said: “Other than Alister Jack – who is on Johnson’s government payroll anyway – Duguid is the only Scots Tory MSP to have backed keeping Johnson in his job.
“And we know - because Bob Seely again gave the game away - that this corrupt Tory Government is no stranger to the worst form of pork-barrel politics.
“So, naturally, my constituents – who are also Duguid’s constituents – will be suspicious of his motivation to defend the indefensible.
“Whatever his price was, it will not be worth it to continue to inflict this disgraceful Prime Minister and his catastrophic policies on the people of Scotland.”
She said that their constituents in the north east of the country were “no less furious than the rest of Scotland over the inexcusable law-breaking behaviour of Boris Johnson”.
“David Duguid must explain why he refused to do the right thing and vote to boot him out,” she added.
“UK Government ministers buying off their MPs with promises of tax-payers’ cash is just the latest obscenity in a grotesque catalogue of sleaze and corruption.
“Scotland does not need to continue to put up with Westminster control - we can choose a different path with independence.”
Seely (above) wrote a blog on his website detailing his reasons for voting to keep Johnson as PM, in which he claimed ministers had offered to reassess the funding package for the Isle of Wight council if he voted for the Government.
He said Johnson was “the only one ever to promise an improved funding settlement for the Island”, adding: “As such, and on balance, I would rather continue to focus on getting him to deliver on this commitment than start afresh with a PM who has not made, or may not offer to make, any such offer.”
A row about bribery by Tory chiefs erupted in January this year, after a number of Conservative MPs said party whips had ordered them to vote with the Government or see funding in their constituencies cut.
Johnson claimed he had seen “no evidence” this was the case.
The National has approached Duguid for comment.
