Scots Tories to announce plan for vote of no confidence in Sturgeon
THE Scottish Tories will unveil plans to bring forward a no-confidence vote in the First Minister today, the party’s leader has announced.
Following his speech to the party’s conference yesterday, Douglas Ross told journalists that a timeline for a vote of no confidence in Nicola Sturgeon will be announced.
Mr Ross said the First Minister lied to parliament over when she knew about allegations of harassment against Alex Salmond, which if proven would be a breach of the ministerial code, and he would look to oust her in the final weeks of the parliamentary session.
The First Minister referred herself for investigation to the independent adviser on the ministerial code, James Hamilton, who is currently looking into the allegations.
In his conference speech, Mr Ross said: “The evidence against Nicola Sturgeon is overwhelming and mounting up every day.
“If we allow her to get away with this, then we say that the truth is worthless in Scottish politics.
“We can’t let more than £500,000 wasted, lies to Parliament and the mother of all coverups go without challenge.”
Mr Ross went on to implore other parties in Holyrood to back the vote, saying: “So, we will bring that vote of no confidence in the First Minister.
“Win or lose – we will put all the damage that she has done out there for all to see.
“We will not hold back. From now to May, we’re not going to back off an inch. I would urge the other parties to get behind us, to stand up for truth, stand up for our parliament, stand up to the SNP. We have the votes, don’t cave in again, don’t duck this chance to be counted, Don’t let Nicola Sturgeon get away with this.”
But less than a minute later, Mr Ross attacked the Greens as “lackeys” of the Scottish Government, the Lib Dems as “teetering on the edge of political extinction” and said the Labour Party were “weak, full stop”.
A spokesman for Ms Sturgeon said: “The fact that the Tories announced this vote before the First Minister had even appeared before the parliamentary committee to give evidence shows that this was always about grubby politics rather than supporting the women who were badly let down.”