MEMORY ROSS
Scottish Tory leader criticised for attending cost-of-living demo
Douglas Ross has been accused of having a “brass neck” after attending a cost- of - living protest in his constituency yesterday.
The Scottish Tory leader was photographed at the event in Elgin despite allegations his party’s policies are plunging millions into poverty.
He will give a key speech to the Conservatives’ annual conference in Birmingham tomorrow amid a deepening economic crisis triggered by Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous mini-budget.
The pound slumped to a record low against the dollar and the Bank of England stepped in to prevent the collapse of the pensions industry in the wake of £ 45billion of unfunded tax cuts that overwhelmingly benef it millionaires and bankers.
There are fears it could cause inflation to spiral further out of control and cause mortgage interest rates to rocket.
Ross – snapped between placards stating “Freeze prices, not people” and “windfall tax now” – defended his decision to attend the Elgin protest yesterday before working as a linesman at a football match.
He said: “I had several engaging conversations with those in attendance and made it clear that I am always available to help and my focus remains on suppor t ing constituents through the cost- of-living crisis.”
But SNP MP Mhairi Black said: “This shows the real brass neck of Douglas Ross.
“The Scottish Tory leader is
pictured at an event protesting his own government’s policies, yet spends most of his time as chief apologist for Liz Truss, who has inf licted untold damage on Scotland. It really is astounding.”
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford MP blasted Truss, saying: “It’s been a disastrous f i rst few week s of her premiership but, if the rhetoric from the Tories is to be believed, the worst of this Truss government is yet to come.”