Presiding officer accused of 'blatant bias' after throwing Tory MSP out of debating chamber
Holyrood's Presiding Officer is facing claims of 'blatant bias' after former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross was thrown of out the chamber without a warning.
Mr Ross said it was 'absolutely' clear that former Green MSP Alison Johnstone was favouring Nationalist politicians over Unionist ones.
It followed a stormy First Minister's Questions in which several Tory MSPs demanded clear answers from John Swinney on his Government's Net Zero policies.
Mr Ross, who has been ticked off for heckling on previous occasions, shouted 'Deflection from Swinney again' when Mr Swinney digressed onto Brexit.
The part-time football referee was immediately given the red card.
'Mr Ross, you have persistently refused to abide by our standing orders,' Ms Johnstone said.
'I ask you to leave the chamber; you are excluded for the rest of the day.'
Mr Ross appeared not to grasp what was happening and had to be asked to leave again.
It was the first expulsion of an MSP from the chamber in five years.
A Conservative spokesman said: 'The Presiding Officer has shown a consistent pattern to favour certain parties at the expense of others.
'We will be seeking discussions to reiterate that the Presiding Officer should not show blatant bias.'
Mr Ross, a Highlands & Islands MSP, later said Ms Johnstone was having a 'controlling effect' on the chamber and there was a constitutional factor involved.
He said: 'You've got to look at Alison Johnstone formerly being a Green Party member, saying that she would leave her party allegiances at the door, but taking very different approaches to Nationalist politicians who step out of line compared to Unionist politicians who step out of line.'
He cited her letting Mr Swinney call the Tory party 'a disgusting organisation' earlier this month, a phrase Tory leader Russell Findlay was not allowed to repeat, and added: 'Since then she's done nothing to prove to me that she is going to be neutral.'
Mr Ross stopped short of demanding an apology, but said Ms Johnstone should 'reflect' and 'regret her immediate kneejerk reaction' and the lack of warning.
He said: I'm looking at all the options, but the ball is in the Presiding Officer's court'.
A Parliament spokeswoman said: 'The Presiding Officer has warned Mr Ross on repeated occasions recently about his behaviour in the Chamber.
'Due to his persistent refusal to respect the rules of Parliament, the Member was asked to leave the Chamber.'
Mr Swinney's spokesman said the FM did not think Ms Johnstone was biased.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said Mr Ross had been 'provoking' the PO for weeks, hoping to get thrown out 'in a cynical bid for relevance', adding: 'She was quite right to eject him.'
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