I will not quit as leader, vows Ross
Def iant Scots Tory chief f ights back after By Cameron Charters party’s election slump and Partygate storm and declares: I’m in this for the long run
DOUGLAS Ross yesterday defiantly vowed to fight on as leader of the Scottish Tories despite disappointing local election results.
Rejecting any suggestion that he should resign, Mr Ross instead put the battle to safeguard the Union at the heart of his political plans.
While acknowledging that Thursday’s poll results had seen the Conservatives slip into third place, he pledged to rebuild trust amongst voters after the damage done by the Partygate controversy.
He declared: ‘I have been clear that I am in this for the long run.
‘We had our best ever result in a Scottish parliament election under my leadership just 12 months ago and we had a difficult night on Thursday and into the count on Friday.
‘So I was here when we had a really good result, and I am still here when we have had a disappointing result.’
Throughout the local election campaign, Mr Ross tried to drag the spotlight away from Partygate, which saw Prime Minister Boris Johnson fined by police for breaking lockdown rules.
During an interview yesterday, he accepted that it had resulted in many traditional Conthe servative supporters refusing to vote in an act of protest.
However, he rejected arguments that his handling of the affair had damaged his credibility in the eyes of voters.
Quashing questions about the party’s confidence in his leadership, Mr Ross called on his critics to seek him out and address him directly.
‘For those who have issued comments, I would like to listen to them. I would like to hear from them. I don’t shirk from responsibility. I don’t want to avoid criticism.
‘The only way to improve this is to listen to where people see issues and where we can get better. I have always taken that approach and will continue to, going forward.’
Mr Ross’s defiance came in the face of criticism from colleagues over his leadership. One unnamed MSP said he had ‘few allies’ left. But Mr Ross said he was grateful for the support he had received from party members directly over weekend. Defending his approach to the Partygate affair, Mr Ross said voters on the doorstep told him it had not changed their opinions of him.
In January the Moray MP submitted a letter of no confidence in Mr Johnson’s leadership after news emerged that the Prime Minister had broken coronavirus laws by attending a surprise birthday party colleagues were holding for him.
However, Mr Ross withdrew the letter in March in the wake of war in Europe, arguing that British efforts to help Ukrainians fighting against Russian forces were best served by political unity within the Conservative Party. Last night he reiterated his solidarity with the Prime Minister over Ukraine.
He also called on the Conservatives to look to the future of the United Kingdom and reject SNP demands for a second independence referendum in the near future.
Mr Ross said: ‘It has been very clear in the results not just for the pro-UK parties but in terms of opinion after opinion poll that the public here in Scotland do not want an independence referendum.’
He added that Ms Sturgeon should ‘focus more on the issues she is in charge of at the moment as First Minister and deliver on those, rather than seeking to simply deliver for her nationalist supporters another independence referendum that people in Scotland don’t want.’
The Conservative Party is now the third party north of the Border after securing 214 seats – a loss of 63 councillors. Meanwhile, the Labour Party gained 20 seats, bringing its total to 282, while the SNP came in with 453 seats.
The Liberal Democrats secured 87 seats, an additional 20, while the Green Party took 16 more, giving them a total of 35 seats.
Mr Ross accepted that the results were difficult for the Conservatives but argued that with hard work and determination, the party could recover.
He said: ‘We are within two percentage points of overtaking the Labour share of the vote, that is something none of the opinion polls were suggesting in the lead-up to this election and we will, as a team, redouble our efforts to win back these voters, who have sent a very clear message that they were unhappy at this time.
‘But we can win them back again by working extra hard to show how strong we are against the SNP.
‘How we have the alternative policies to take Scotland forward.
‘We are the party which has got more policies on education, health, on drugs, on justice, than any other.
‘I would like to listen to them. I don’t shirk from responsibility’ ‘We have the policies to take Scotland forward’
We are bringing forward bills in parliament at the moment to show there is an alternative to the SNP that isn’t coming from any other party.’
However, he disagreed with the Conservative Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi, who said during an interview yesterday morning that Mr Johnson was an ‘electoral asset’.
Mr Ross said: ‘I think Nadhim comes from a polling background prior to his election into Westminster. He is a valued colleague, but he has to look at the losses the Conservatives have received right across the country.
‘We have gone backwards in many parts of the United Kingdom, and I am sure the Prime Minister, his Education Secretary and all members of the Cabinet will – and have to – reflect on that.’