Latest news with #DouglasRoss
Scotsman
a day ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
The martyrdom of ex-Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross must not be in vain
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Martyrdom of Douglas Ross just might go down in Holyrood history as a turning point. Others should raise their voices to protest that there is only so much evasion and sanctimony that sentient beings should be expected to tolerate in silence. There have been 25 years to judge whether Holyrood's procedures are in need of review or if its potential as a place of national debate and scrutiny could be improved upon. It is a measure of the delusions which pervade the place that nobody seems to consider institutional self-criticism a priority. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I have no doubt Scotland's great issues of the day were more intelligently debated in public forums before Holyrood existed. This was not only at Westminster though, contrary to myth, MPs spent a lot of time debating distinctive Scottish issues and legislation. And they weren't required to do it via four-minute speeches as Holyrood's ridiculous rules of debate demand. Douglas Ross points something out in the Scottish Parliament chamber (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell) | Getty Images Soporific Pre-devolution, far more attention was also paid to forums like the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the annual congress of the Scottish TUC, the party conferences and so on, involving big issues, big people, big ideas. They couldn't legislate but they could argue and influence. Ironically, much of that influence was latterly directed towards creation of a devolved parliament. Holyrood duly superseded these institutions and added a democratic layer to devolved policy-making. The accompanying theory was that it would reflect a Scotland of all the talents; a showcase for our democratic intellects and a font of original thinking. To say the least, it hasn't worked out like that and expectations have long since been lowered accordingly. Most MSPs appear content with their three-day week and home-in-time-for-tea formula. It produces legislation which is repeatedly abandoned or found to be deeply flawed, while the dynamic of political debate is stifled by a leaden environment, originally designed to be 'consensual' but now merely soporific. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Since the future existence of Holyrood is not in question, it is surely time to ask how it could actually encourage people to believe in it as a vehicle for healthy debate, creativity and progress. Every party should be challenged to make a manifesto commitment to review the workings of the Scottish Parliament with a view to reviving these ambitions. Saving money Similarly, any aspirant party of government should commit to a comprehensive spending review after next year's elections, with every spending silo subjected to intense scrutiny. To me, one of the most remarkable recent confessions came from public finance minister Ivan McKee, who said there are £5 billion of 'backroom savings' to be found in the Scottish Government's budget. At this point, the issue of wasted money intersects with the quality of parliamentary scrutiny at which Holyrood has repeatedly proved itself not fit for purpose, despite the best efforts of some MSPs. As far as I can find, Mr McKee's extraordinary admission has never been debated in the Holyrood Chamber with the First Minister held to account for £5bn. But let's return to Mr Ross, with whom empathy does not always come naturally. However, his dismissal by the Green Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone, merits textual analysis in his defence. The red card came during First Minister's Questions when the Scottish Tory leader, Russell Findlay, was challenging Mr Swinney on net-zero targets. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Findlay's opening gambit was about the impact on agriculture. Quoting from the Climate Change Committee, he said that reaching the targets for this sector would mean 'the number of cattle and sheep in Scotland would need to fall by two million over the next decade' while Scots would need to 'eat one third less meat'. Reasonable to expect answers By any standards, these statistics and their implications are worthy of a serious response. If they are unfounded, Mr Swinney could have said so. If they are the price to be paid for higher objectives, he could have defended them. It would have been an interesting exchange. Instead, there was bland, dismissive verbiage that added nothing to human knowledge. So Mr Findlay moved on to heat pumps, citing the fact that fewer than one per cent of Scottish homes are fitted with them. To meet targets, that would need to increase to 70 per cent which is before you get to the question of how they would be paid for. Again, this was a perfectly reasonable subject to expect an answer on but heat pumps are one of many abandoned causes Mr Swinney opts not to talk about. So he completely ignored the question and reverted to sanctimonious mode in order to plead his deep commitment to farmers and denounce the wickedness of Brexit. Yes, Brexit! Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Tolerating long-winded evasion At that point, a more agile Presiding Officer might have gently pointed out that he'd already done farmers and questioning was now onto heat pumps. It is a comment on Ms Johnstone's unfailing tolerance of long-winded evasion by First Ministers' past and present that nobody would have harboured any such expectation of her. Enter Mr Ross, stage right. According to the official transcript, he was not actually recorded as saying anything but whatever form his protest took was enough to get him thrown out. Then it was back to Mr Swinney rambling on about Brexit, which absolutely nobody had asked him about. In Ms Johnstone's view, all of that satisfied parliamentary accountability, which she is paid £126,452 a year to defend. In fact, it was a demonstration of why hardly anyone takes the proceedings at Holyrood very seriously or regards it as the forum for national debate and enlightenment that it was once supposed to grow into.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
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.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ross accuses Johnstone of ‘constitutional bias' after being kicked out of FMQs
Douglas Ross has accused Holyrood's Presiding Officer of constitutional bias after being kicked out from the Scottish Parliament's chamber during a boisterous First Minister's Questions. The former Scottish Tory leader claimed Alison Johnstone — who was elected in 2021 as a Scottish Green MSP — treats pro-union parties more harshly than those who backed Yes in the 2014 independence referendum. However, a spokesperson for Holyrood said the MSP had been repeatedly warned about his heckling. READ MORE: Former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross kicked out of Holyrood chamber Soaring welfare bill, ScotRail fares and tax gap heap pressure on Scottish Budget Bid to add 'Second Hampden' to list of nationally important historic sites The row began after Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay questioned the First Minister on the impact of net zero policies on agriculture. In response, John Swinney said Brexit had harmed farmers, prompting Mr Ross to shout: 'Swinney deflecting again.' Ms Johnstone halted proceedings and said: 'Mr Ross, you have persistently refused to abide by our standing orders and I would ask you to leave this chamber and you are excluded for the rest of the day.' Mr Ross did not initially leave, forcing the Presiding Officer to pause proceedings again to insist he depart. Here is the moment Douglas Ross was kicked out of the Chamber today during FMQs @heraldscotland — Hannah Brown (@HannahMargBrown) May 29, 2025 Speaking to journalists afterwards, Mr Ross said he was 'very frustrated' by the decision. 'For a member to be expelled from the chamber without being warned at all, I think may be unprecedented. I have been warned in the past, as has John Swinney. I have been warned quite a lot recently, as has John Swinney, for shouting and heckling and others and asking questions, as have many SNP backbenchers and frontbenchers.' Asked if he was questioning the Presiding Officer's neutrality, Mr Ross replied: 'Yes.' He said MSPs from other parties had messaged him to express concern about Ms Johnstone's conduct. 'They were just surprised by the actions of the Presiding Officer. We are a legislature here — we are not a library. "There is going to be some discussion from the benches around the respective party spokespeople. That is what people watch politics for. Now, sometimes it goes beyond the pale and action has to be taken. "But I do not recall ever seeing a Presiding Officer take no action to try to minimise that behaviour or to warn any members before excluding them — and she reached straight for that option today, which for me raises serious concerns. "The speed at which she did it made me almost think it was premeditated. 'It did not matter what I did today. I wonder if she was just going to go straight for that. And certainly, by looking at it, there was no hesitation from Alison Johnstone to reach for that straightaway.' He added: 'I think we have got to look at her actions against Conservatives in general, and how she has responded to comments from SNP ministers. "For example, the First Minister is apparently allowed to call the Conservatives a disgusting party with no sanction. "But Russell Findlay was making comments about the Green Party, which she immediately slapped down. "So it does raise questions about the consistency in her decision-making and how she is treating members of different parties.' He said: 'Alison Johnstone, formerly being a Green Party member, said that she would leave her party allegiances at the door, but [she is] taking very different approaches to nationalist politicians who step out of line compared to unionist politicians who step out of line.' The Scottish LibDems said they continued to support Ms Johnstone. Alex Cole-Hamilton said: 'If Douglas Ross does not want to be in the Scottish Parliament any more he should just resign. 'Anyone watching First Minister's Questions will know that for weeks and weeks Douglas Ross has been provoking the Presiding Officer in the hope that he would get thrown out, in a cynical bid for relevance. 'The Presiding Officer was quite right to eject him and my party has full confidence in her impartiality.' A Scottish Parliament spokesperson 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. This suspension is for the remainder of the day.' On 8 May the Presiding Officer told the MSP, Mr Ross, "if I hear you once more, you will leave this chamber.' On 22 April she said: "Mr Ross, I will not ask again that you refrain from shouting from your seat when you have not been called to speak. That is the last time that I will ask you.' Later that same day, Ms Johnston said: "Mr Ross, would you like to leave the chamber? If you wish to remain here, you must adhere to our standing orders.' Standing Order 7.3 of Scottish Parliament Standing Orders sets out that MSPs "shall at all times conduct themselves in an orderly manner" and that any member who breaks this rule "may be ordered by the Presiding Officer to leave the chamber and may be excluded from the chamber."
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
Did Douglas Ross deserve his red card from the Holyrood chamber?
The former Scottish Tory leader, a referee in his spare time, was sent off with no recourse to VAR Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It had been coming for weeks. Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has had repeated run-ins with Holyrood's Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone, who has warned him on several occasions about his conduct in the chamber. On Thursday, things came to a head. Mr Ross - a football referee in his spare time - was shown the red card and kicked out of First Minister's Questions after heckling John Swinney during an exchange about net zero. He was also banned from the chamber for the rest of the day. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There was no yellow and no recourse to VAR. But was it deserved? Former Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross, showing a red card | Johnston Press Mr Ross says no. He argues his treatment is 'unprecedented' and has accused the Presiding Officer of being biased against Conservative MSPs and unionist politicians. He said the issue under discussion at the time - the impact on farming of the SNP's 2045 net zero target - is close to his heart as an MSP for the Highlands and Islands, and he was frustrated by the failure of Mr Swinney to address the point. 'For a member to be expelled from the chamber with no warning at all, I think may be unprecedented,' Mr Ross told journalists. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Presiding Officer could point to her many previous warnings, such as on May 21, May 8, April 22 and April 3. But Mr Ross effectively argues infractions on days gone by don't count - or if they do, then other serial hecklers, including SNP frontbenchers, should be treated just as harshly. He added: '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.' Many in Holyrood will reject the suggestion that Ms Johnstone, who was elected a Green MSP, is in any way biased against unionists or Tory politicians. But something else Mr Ross said deserves consideration, even by his opponents. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Holyrood is 'not a library', he told journalists. The environment is already 'far too sterile'. And certainly, compared to Westminster, proceedings can be pretty tame.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Holyrood's ‘Speaker' accused of anti-Unionist bias after throwing out Tories' former leader
The Scottish Parliament's presiding officer has been accused of 'blatant bias' against opponents of independence after she ejected a former leader of the Scottish Tories from the Holyrood chamber. Alison Johnstone ordered Douglas Ross to leave the chamber during First Minister's Questions on Thursday, and banned him for the rest of the day. Speaking outside the chamber, Mr Ross said 'many people' were questioning if the presiding officer, a former MSP for the pro-independence Scottish Greens, was 'truly neutral' following a series of clashes with Tory members. He accused Ms Johnstone of 'taking very different approaches to nationalist politicians who step out of line compared to Unionist politicians who step out of line'. The Scottish Tories also claimed Ms Johnstone had 'shown a consistent pattern to favour certain parties at the expense of others' and demanded talks to deal with the alleged 'bias'. The Scottish Parliament said the presiding officer, whose job is equivalent to that of the Speaker at Westminster, had taken action against Mr Ross as he was a repeat offender and because of his 'persistent refusal to respect the rules of Parliament'. But Tory insiders alleged Ms Johnstone had reprimanded other Conservatives for conduct that she permitted among MSPs from other parties. This included barracking political opponents from their seats in the chamber. They highlighted how she repeatedly chastised Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tory leader, during First Minister's Questions on May 1 for failing to treat John Swinney with 'courtesy and respect'. However, she failed to give the First Minister a reprimand when he accused his Conservative opponent of 'barefaced dishonesty.' Ross shouted at First Minister during Questions Ms Johnstone became a Green MSP for the Lothians region in 2011, but gave up her party affiliation when she was elected presiding officer after the 2021 Holyrood election. During Thursday's First Minister's Questions, Mr Ross could be heard shouting 'deflection' at Mr Swinney as he responded to questions from Mr Findlay about the Scottish Government's net zero targets. Ms Johnstone stopped proceedings and said: 'Mr Ross, you have persistently refused to abide by our standing orders. I ask you to leave the chamber; you are excluded for the rest of the day.' Her decision to immediately expel Mr Ross appeared to surprise him and other MSPs as she had previously dealt with those who shouted from their seats by issuing a warning. After he failed to move, she ordered him out a second time and he left. Ms Johnstone also warned two other Tory MSPs, Douglas Lumsden and Stephen Kerr, about 'shouting from your seat' during the session. Mr Ross said: 'I think Alison Johnstone has to seriously consider her neutral role because at the moment from the outside many people are questioning if she is truly neutral. After what she has just done, I struggled to accept that she has been neutral for all members. 'I think we have got to look at her actions against Conservatives in general, and how she has responded to comments from SNP ministers. For example, the First Minister is apparently allowed to call the Conservatives 'a disgusting party' with no sanction.' A Scottish Tory 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 Kerr said: 'The presiding officer should be a stout defender of the rights of MSPs to hold ministers to account. Instead, we have one who appears more concerned with shielding ministers from scrutiny than standing up for the Parliament.' 'Repeated refusals' to respect rules But a Scottish Parliament spokesman 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. ' Holyrood insiders said Ms Johnstone had warned Mr Ross about his conduct on April 3 and twice on April 22, when she asked him to 'refrain from shouting from your seat' and challenged him over whether he wanted to leave the chamber. They added that she issued a further warning on May 8. Alex Cole-Hamilton, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, said: 'Anyone watching First Minister's Questions will know that for weeks and week Douglas Ross has been provoking the presiding officer in the hope that he would get thrown out, in a cynical bid for relevance. 'The presiding officer was quite right to eject him and my party has full confidence in her impartiality.'
