Douglas Ross snubs Holyrood summit for seminar near Bahamas
The seminar is apparently in relation to his work on the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
SNP ministers, including Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth, are set to appear on June 11.
READ MORE: 'You're not welcome': Nigel Farage visit to Scotland met by anti-racism protesters
It comes after Ross was ejected from the Holyrood chamber last week by the Presiding Officer after heckling the First Minister.
An SNP source said: "Throughout his time at Holyrood, Douglas Ross has treated his role as an MSP as a part-time gig to fit around his other jobs - including his various jaunts across Europe as an assistant referee.
"This has been a bit of an embarrassing week for Mr Ross after he was removed from the Chamber for his poor behaviour on Thursday. After his tirade of unjustified claims about other members' parliamentary attendance it is now somewhat ironic that Mr Ross will be logging in from near the Caribbean."
A Scottish Conservative spokesperson said: 'Douglas will be attending this meeting and holding the SNP's education secretary and her colleagues to account.'
The move to expel Ross angered his Tory colleagues, who said Alison Johnstone was regularly treating them unfairly.
The Scottish Conservatives said they would be 'seeking discussions to reiterate that the Presiding Officer should not show blatant bias'.
But Swinney backed Johnstone, who was elected as a Green MSP, saying she 'always acts impartially' and upholds the rules of the Scottish Parliament.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
27 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Sturgeon: Salmond happier for SNP to be destroyed than succeed without him
In her memoir, Frankly, the former first minister said she had come to the realisation that her former friend and mentor 'wanted to destroy me'. She said her relationship with the late politician began to deteriorate as soon as she became leader of Scotland. Mr Salmond, who died last year, quit as SNP leader and first minister in 2014 after the Scottish independence referendum. Ms Sturgeon also claims in her book that Mr Salmond had admitted to her that the 'substance' of one of the sexual harassment complaints had been true. The former Alba Party leader was acquitted of all charges relating to the allegations at court in 2020, while a judicial review found the Scottish Government's own investigation of him was tainted with apparent bias. Ms Sturgeon said her former mentor had created a conspiracy theory about Scotland's core democratic institutions to shield himself from accountability. She said Mr Salmond never produced a 'shred of evidence' to support these claims. She accused him of trying to 'distort' and 'weaponise' the trauma of victims. In her book, which was on sale in some places ahead of schedule on Monday, she said: 'In his (Salmond's) efforts to turn himself into the wronged person, he demonstrated that nothing and no one was sacrosanct for him. 'There was never the merest hint of concern about the damage he did to the party he previously led. 'Indeed, it felt to me that he would have rather destroyed the SNP than see it succeed without him.' She accused her former boss of having 'impugned the integrity' of the institutions 'at the heart of Scottish democracy', including the Government, Police Scotland and Crown Office. She went on: 'The fact that he never produced a shred of credible evidence that a conspiracy existed, because it didn't, wasn't enough to stop him seeking to damage the reputation of these institutions and shatter the morale of those who worked in them. 'He was prepared to traumatise, time and again, the women at the centre of it all. 'A jury concluded that what they experienced wasn't criminal, but that does not mean those experiences didn't happen. 'Even if he never said so explicitly, he was accusing them of being liars, of making it all up.' The former SNP leader said Mr Salmond had made his former allies and SNP colleagues 'mortal enemies' in the fallout over misconduct claims against him. 'In that regard,' she wrote, 'I was clearly public enemy number one. For a while, I told myself that the bonds between us would be stronger than his thirst for revenge. 'Eventually, though, I had to face the fact that he was determined to destroy me. 'I was now engaged in mortal political combat with someone I knew to be both ruthless and highly effective. 'It was a difficult reality to reconcile myself to. 'So too was losing him as a friend. I went through what I can only describe as a grieving process. 'For a time after we stopped speaking, I would have conversations with him in my head about politics and the issues of the day. 'I had occasional, but always vivid, dreams in which we were still on good terms. I would wake up from these feeling utterly bereft.'
Daily Record
28 minutes ago
- Daily Record
'Hyperbolic word salad': Row breaks out as Reform UK politician urges Scots council to rule out low emission zone
Councillor Jamie McGuire labelled the schemes in four Scottish cities as "little more than cash cows" in a blistering statement. A row has broken out after a Reform UK politician urged Renfrewshire Council to rule out ever introducing congestion charges or a low emission zone (LEZ). Councillor Jamie McGuire labelled the schemes as "little more than cash cows" and said the local authority "must have no part in this" in a blistering statement. But the elected member for Renfrew North and Braehead has been accused of "hyperbolic word salad" on an issue that was settled almost two years ago. In September 2023, the SNP administration confirmed it was not considering the introduction of an LEZ in Paisley or any other part of Renfrewshire at a full council meeting. Councillor McGuire, who defected from Labour to Nigel Farage's Reform in June, said: "Scotland's four main cities already have LEZs in place and their experience should be a warning. "These schemes have acted as little more than cash cows, generating income for councils while hitting those who can least afford it. "People on the lowest incomes, who are far more likely to drive older vehicles, have been penalised simply for trying to get to work, take their children to school or care for relatives. "Renfrewshire must have no part in this. A congestion charge or LEZ in our towns would be a hammer blow to local households and businesses. We are a working community that depends on accessible, affordable transport. "Many residents travel across Renfrewshire for work, education, and caring responsibilities, while small enterprises rely heavily on vans and cars to serve customers and move goods. "Imposing extra charges on them is not just unreasonable, it risks undermining our local economy and making it harder for people to live and work here." He added: "The SNP-led Renfrewshire Council must act now to rule out – clearly, unequivocally and permanently – ever introducing either a congestion charge or a low emission zone in our area. "Residents deserve certainty, not the constant threat of new charges hanging over them." Councillor Jim Paterson, SNP convener of the planning and climate change policy board, claimed Councillor McGuire was "trying to raise his profile" with the comments. The elected member for Renfrew South and Gallowhill said: "Another day, another fabricated outrage from Councillor McGuire. "The position of the SNP administration and indeed Councillor McGuire on this issue was settled in 2023 when the Conservative group called on the council to rule out establishing any form of LEZ in Paisley and wider Renfrewshire for the duration of this council term. "The SNP position along with a Labour amendment was agreed then by the vast majority of councillors which stated that the council would not consider the introduction of a low emission zone (LEZ/ULEZ) in Paisley or any other parts of Renfrewshire. That position remains unchanged. "Councillor McGuire, like his newfound political hero Nigel Farage, may like to trade in misinformation but to imply that there has been any change to the agreed position of 2023 is just nonsense and to suggest there is a 'constant fear' hanging over residents is just hyperbolic word salad from a councillor desperately trying to raise his profile to secure the top spot in his party's internal list for Holyrood 2026."
Daily Mirror
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Nigel Farage will meet with JD Vance during UK visit - after not visiting Trump in Scotland
It had been previously reported that Vance would be meeting with Robert Jenrick during his stay, but not with Farage or Kemi Badenoch. But the Mirror has learned this is not the case Nigel Farage will meet with JD Vance on Wednesday, the Mirror understands - after not visiting Donald Trump during his UK trip last month. The US Vice President is spending time in the Cotswolds after an intense few days staying with Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening, Kent. It had been previously reported that Vance would be meeting with Robert Jenrick during his stay, but not with Farage or Kemi Badenoch. But a source confirmed to the Mirror that this was not the case, and they will meet on Wednesday. He and Farage are aligned on a number of issues - notably their interpretation of free speech. Farage has criticised the Government's approach to age-limiting adult content online. And Vance has long railed against what he sees as violations of free speech in the UK's policing of hate crimes and harassment. It comes after . READ MORE: MIKEY SMITH: 10 unhinged Donald Trump moments - and why his crime stats are even more dodgy Vance is also expected to visit US troops stationed at RAF Fairford. He'll receive a briefing on the base's capabilities and will give a speech. RAF Fairford is home to US troops from the United States Air Force's 501st Combat Support Wing and the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. Farage did not meet with President Trump when he visited the UK last month, on a four-day trip to his two Scottish golf resorts. It's understood Farage didn't feel it was appropriate to meet Trump this time round, because of his prominence in the polls and claimed position as "leader of the opposition". His absence was unusual - Farage and Trump have met during most of the US President's visits to Britain in recent years. On Sunday, the Mirror revealed a campaign group had raised almost £4,500 from Brits who want to "ruin" JD Vance's holiday. The group 'Everyone Hates Elon' were behind huge posters of Donald Trump with dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein that appeared around the UK to mark the US President's golf holiday in Scotland They also added a plaque to the sign outside his Turnberry golf course saying it was "Twinned with Epstein Island". Now they're planning to welcome the US Vice President with billboards and flags of a meme of Mr Vance with a ruddy face, a beard and a bald head - which it's claimed he hates. A Norwegian tourist who was refused entry to the US earlier this year claimed he was told it was because he had a copy of the meme on his phone. A spokesperson for the group said: "JD Vance says the UK has a free speech problem - but a tourist was banned from entering the USA simply for having this image on his phone. "So we thought we'd show him what free speech looks like here by welcoming him with the image he apparently hates so much."
