Douglas Ross (Scottish politician)

Last updated

(1 of 7 regional MSPs)
Krystle Ross
​
(m. 2015)​
Douglas Ross
MSP
Douglas Ross 2021.jpg
Official portrait, 2021
Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament
In office
6 May 2021 –27 September 2024
First Minister
Preceded by Ruth Davidson
Succeeded by Russell Findlay
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 May 2021
Children2
Alma mater Scottish Agricultural College

Douglas Gordon Ross (born 27 January 1983) is a Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 2020 to 2024 and as Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament from 2021 to 2024. He served as Member of the UK Parliament (MP) for Moray from 2017 to 2024. Ross currently serves as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Highlands and Islands, having been elected as a regional list MSP in 2021. He was previously MSP for the region from 2016 to 2017.

Contents

Born in Aberdeen, Ross was educated at Forres Academy. After graduating from the Scottish Agricultural College, he worked on a dairy farm. A member of the Scottish Liberal Democrats in his youth, he switched to the Scottish Conservatives and began his political career as a Scottish Parliament researcher and then a councillor in Moray. He stood unsuccessfully for the Moray UK Parliament constituency in the 2010 and 2015 general elections and for the Scottish Parliament constituency in 2011 and 2016. In the latter election, he was elected as a regional list MSP as one of the additional members for the Highlands and Islands.

Ross was elected to the House of Commons at the 2017 general election, defeating SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson, and was re-elected in 2019 with a reduced majority. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland under Prime Minister Boris Johnson for six months. He resigned in May 2020, in protest at Dominic Cummings continuing to serve as Johnson's adviser after breaking lockdown rules during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was selected to stand in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East in the 2024 United Kingdom general election, and was defeated by the SNP's Seamus Logan. He remains in the Scottish Parliament as an MSP.

Following the resignation of Jackson Carlaw in July 2020, Ross announced his candidature in the August 2020 Scottish Conservative Party leadership election. Five days later, he was elected leader unopposed. He ran on a joint ticket with former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson. Since he served in the House of Commons and was not an MSP, Davidson led the party in the Scottish Parliament until the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. He announced he would stand down as the leader of the Scottish Conservatives after the 2024 United Kingdom general election.

Early life and career

Douglas Gordon Ross was born in Aberdeen on 27 January 1983 to Sandy and Lesley Ross. [1] [2] He first attended Alves Primary School and the state secondary Forres Academy before going on to study agriculture at the Scottish Agricultural College. [3] [2] [4] After graduating, he worked on a dairy farm near Forres, Moray, where his father had been working as a cattleman. [5] He was a member of the Scottish Liberal Democrats in his youth but later became a Conservative voter. [2]

Early political career

Ross began his political career when he took up a post as a parliamentary researcher at the Scottish Parliament. [2] He was first elected to The Moray Council in 2007, representing the Fochabers-Lhanbryde ward, and became part of the Independent/Conservative administration. He resigned from the council administration in December 2009 but continued as a councillor. [6] In 2012, he was re-elected to The Moray Council and again became part of the ruling administration group but was "ousted" from this in 2014, following a debate about school closures. [7]

Ross stood as the Conservative candidate for Moray at the 2010 and 2015 general elections, coming second to Angus Robertson but increased his share of the vote by 5.0% in 2015. He also stood as the Conservative candidate for the Moray Scottish Parliament constituency at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election but finished second to Richard Lochhead. At the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Ross increased his vote by 18.0% but again finished behind Lochhead. However, he was elected to the Scottish Parliament after being placed first on the Highlands and Islands regional list. [8] He supported the UK remaining within the European Union in the 2016 membership referendum. [9]

Official portraits of Ross as an MP
Official portrait of Douglas Ross crop 2.jpg
2017
Official portrait of Douglas Ross MP crop 2.jpg
2019

Ross stood again for the seat of Moray at the 2017 general election, challenging SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson. He was successful in overturning Robertson's 9,065 majority with 22,637 votes, 47.6% of the votes cast, gaining a 16.5% swing to the Conservatives. [10] Having gained a seat at Westminster, Ross resigned from his seat in the Scottish Parliament. [2]

In 2017, Ross said during an interview that if he was Prime Minister for a day "without any repercussions", he would "like to see tougher enforcement against Gypsy Travellers". His remark was criticised, including by Naomi McAuliffe of Amnesty International. [11] [12] Ross apologised for his use of language. [13] The Scottish Football Association launched a disciplinary investigation into his remarks, which did not lead to any formal disciplinary action, but warned him to pay attention to his use of language. [14] [15]

SNP and Labour spokespeople criticised Ross for missing a debate on Universal Credit in October 2017, due to his commitments as a football referee. [16] Shortly afterwards, Ross decided he would no longer accept referee appointments while the UK Parliament is sitting. [17]

Despite backing remaining in the EU prior to the referendum, Ross stated Parliament should complete Brexit to "deliver the will of the British people". He voted against Theresa May's Brexit withdrawal agreement at the first round of voting and was absent for the second following his wife going into labour. He supported Mark Harper then subsequently Boris Johnson in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election. [2]

Ross was re-elected at the 2019 general election with a reduced majority. [18] He was then appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, replacing Colin Clark who had lost his seat in the election. [19] He resigned from this role on 26 May 2020, in protest against Dominic Cummings continuing to serve as Chief Adviser to the Prime Minister after having travelled over 260 miles (420 kilometres) from London to Durham during the COVID-19 lockdown period. [20] [21]

Leadership of the Scottish Conservatives

Ross announced his candidature in the August 2020 Scottish Conservative Party leadership election following Jackson Carlaw's resignation on 30 July 2020. On 5 August, he won the contest unopposed and became leader. [22] On 11 August, he conducted a reshuffle where he made Ruth Davidson the Leader of the Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament, dismissed Annie Wells and Liam Kerr from their deputy leadership positions and did not give Carlaw a position. [23] As a result of the Alex Salmond parliamentary inquiry in early 2021, Ross called on opposition parties to pass a motion of no confidence against the Scottish Government. [24] [25]

Upon becoming leader, Ross announced plans to run for a seat in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election and succeed Davidson as his party's leader in Holyrood. [23] He was subsequently elected on the Highlands and Islands regional list. The Scottish Conservatives won 31 seats in total, matching their 2016 result and recording the party's highest ever vote share. Following his re-election to the Scottish Parliament, Ross announced his intention to remain MP for Moray while serving as an MSP. The Scottish Parliament website confirms that Ross will donate his MSP salary to charities. [26] [27] Other parties have called on him to resign from his MP role. [28]

In November 2021, Ross referred himself to the parliamentary watchdog after it was revealed he failed to record his salary and earnings as a linesman in his registers of interest at the UK Parliament, all of which amounted to £28,000 not being recorded. [29] [30] [31] He subsequently apologised for his actions and said it was an error on his part however there were also calls for his resignation because of the affair. [31] [32] [33]

In January 2022, after Ross called for the resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson amid the Downing Street party scandal, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Leader of the House of Commons, commented: "I don't think Douglas Ross is a big figure. I think Alister Jack is a really serious and senior figure." [34] It was then reported that Ross had sent in a letter of no-confidence in Boris Johnson to the 1922 Committee. [35] Less than two months later, in response to the invasion of Ukraine, Ross announced that he had withdrawn his letter, saying “the middle of an international crisis is not the time to be discussing resignations”. [36] Despite this, he was one of four of the six Scottish Conservative MPs who voted against Johnson in the June confidence vote, though stressed he had not resubmitted his letter. [37]

After poor results in the 2022 Scottish local elections, Ross said he intended to remain as leader. [38] Under him, on 12 October 2023, fellow MP Lisa Cameron defected to the Conservatives, becoming the first elected representative to cross the floor to a unionist party from the Scottish National Party. She cited a "toxic and bullying" culture in her former party that led to her defection. [39] [40]

In October 2021, Ross became the first MP to announce that they would not stand again at the next general election. [41] [42] On 6 June 2024, weeks before the 2024 UK general election, it was announced that Ross would be standing in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East. David Duguid, since 2017 the MP for the predecessor seat, had been "deselected" the night before despite being previously adopted as the candidate. Duguid, who would miss out on a £14,700 redundancy as a result, was in hospital at the time, but said he had been "looking forward to campaigning" in the election. [43] Ross was criticised by members of his party, and by other parties, for the move. [44]

On 10 June 2024, Ross announced that he would resign as leader of the Scottish Conservatives following the 2024 general election, and also as an MSP if he is re-elected as MP in the election. [45] [46]

Policies and views

In line with the Scottish Conservatives, Ross supports British unionism and is opposed to a second referendum on Scottish independence. [47] Following his election as leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, Ross stated that he wanted to represent "working-class unionists in Scotland." [48] However, he has also criticised what he views as too much centralisation around London and has expressed support for some federalist ideas, including House of Lords reform. [49] In the run-up to the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, Ross proposed a "pro-UK, anti-referendum coalition" with other Scottish unionist parties although this was not supported by Scottish Labour. [50]

Ross backed Remain during the EU referendum, but after the vote he stated Parliament should complete Brexit to "deliver the will of the British people". He voted against Theresa May's Brexit withdrawal agreement at the first round of voting and was absent for the second following his wife going into labour. During the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election, Ross initially endorsed Mark Harper before backing Boris Johnson in the final round. [51]

Ross has also expressed support for power of recall in the Scottish parliament, and, in 2021, proposed what he called "Mackay's Law" (named after former SNP Finance Minister Derek Mackay), whereby MSPs who have not shown up for work for over six months but still collect pay must be forced to resign. [48]

Football referee

A qualified football official, Ross is a top-level assistant referee in his spare time. He was one of the officials for the 2015 Scottish Cup Final, assisting Willie Collum, [52] and the 2018 Scottish Cup Final, assisting Kevin Clancy. He has run the line in several editions of Scotland's biggest club fixture, the Old Firm Derby, and has been involved in continental UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League ties and international FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship qualifiers. [53] He continued his refereeing career after being elected to the Scottish Parliament [54] and also officiated matches whilst an MP in the UK House of Commons. [55]

In the House of Commons Register of Members' Interests, Ross declared earnings of more than £2,700 in August and September 2017 for his work as an assistant referee. [15] [56] In October of that year, Ross told the football authorities that he would no longer accept refereeing appointments during the week while the UK Parliament is sitting. [17] By December 2017, his declared income from 20 domestic and international games since becoming an MP was more than £11,000. [57]

In December 2018, BBC Sport reported that Ross had reduced the number of refereeing appointments due to his work commitments as an MP. [58] At this time, he also argued that the Scottish Football Association should not appoint fully professional referees. [58]

In August 2020, Ross apologised for not attending a VJ Day event as a result of previously agreeing to officiate at a Scottish Premiership game between Kilmarnock and St Johnstone. Ross said he would donate his match fee to the charity Help for Heroes. [59] In October 2020, he was a linesman at Wembley for England's 3–0 friendly win against Wales. [60]

In November 2020, FIFA were asked to investigate a complaint by a member of the Scottish Football Supporters Association that a Conservative Party leaflet distributed to homes in Scotland included a photograph of Ross as a match official. [61]

Ross stopped officiating games in January 2021 due to injury. [62] He resumed his refereeing career in July 2022, while both Holyrood and Westminster were in recess. [62]

Personal life

Ross married Krystle in 2015. They have two sons, one who was born in 2019, and another in 2021. [1] [63] [64]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ross served as Leader of the Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament from 6 May 2021, having been preceded by Ruth Davidson.
  2. ↑ Normally, regional MSPs do not have individual predecessors and successors. However, Ross retired his seat during a sitting parliament so was succeeded by Halcro Johnston.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angus Robertson</span> Scottish politician (born 1969)

Angus Struan Carolus Robertson is a Scottish politician serving as the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture since 2021. Formerly Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2016 to 2018, he has served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Edinburgh Central since 2021. Robertson previously served as a Westminster MP for Moray from 2001 to 2017, where he served from 2007 to 2017 as the Leader of the SNP in the House of Commons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Conservatives</span> Part of the British Conservative Party

The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party is part of the UK Conservative Party active in Scotland. It currently holds 5 of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons, 31 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and comprises 209 of Scotland's 1,227 local councillors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murdo Fraser</span> Scottish Conservative politician

Murdo MacKenzie Fraser is a Scottish politician who served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 2005 to 2011. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Mid Scotland and Fife region since 2001. As of 2024, he serves as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Business, Economic Growth and Tourism, shadowing Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Moray by-election</span>

A by-election in the Moray constituency of the Scottish Parliament was held on 27 April 2006 following the death of the Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Margaret Ewing on 21 March 2006, from breast cancer. The seat was successfully defended by the SNP's Richard Lochhead, increasing the majority over the Scottish Conservative Party by 1073 votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson Carlaw</span> Scottish politician (born 1959)

David Jackson Carlaw is a Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from February to July 2020, having acted in the position since August 2019. He previously served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 2011 to 2019. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 2007, first as an additional member for the West Scotland region and later for the Eastwood constituency since 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Lamont</span> Scottish politician (born 1976)

John Robert Lamont is a Scottish Conservative Party politician and solicitor who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk since 2017 and Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland since July 2024. Lamont previously served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, later Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire after boundary changes, from 2007 to 2017. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland between October 2022 to July 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ross Thomson</span> Scottish Conservative politician

Ross Thomson is a former Scottish Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberdeen South from 2017 to 2019. Thomson was the first Conservative MP elected for Aberdeen South since the 1992 general election, 25 years earlier. He was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the North East Scotland region from May 2016 until June 2017. He was elected to Aberdeen City Council in the 2012 local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Scottish Parliament election</span>

The 2021 Scottish Parliament election took place on 11 May 2021, under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998. All 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament were elected in the sixth election since the parliament was re-established in 1999. The election was held alongside the Senedd election in Wales, English local elections, London Assembly and mayoral election and the Hartlepool by-election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Davidson</span> Scottish politician life peer former Scottish Tory leader podcast host (born 1978)

Ruth Elizabeth Davidson, Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links,, is a Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 2011 to 2019 and Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament from 2020 to 2021. She served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow from 2011 to 2016 and for Edinburgh Central from 2016 to 2021. She has been a member of the House of Lords since 2021. Davidson is co-host of Sky News podcast Electrical Dysfunction alongside Beth Rigby and Baroness Harman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Wells (politician)</span> Scottish Conservative politician

Carol Ann "Annie" Wells is a British politician of the Scottish Conservatives, who served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party to Jackson Carlaw in 2020. She has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region since 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Lochiel</span> Scottish politician (born 1976)

Donald Andrew John Cameron of Lochiel, Baron Cameron of Lochiel is a Scottish Conservative politician and life peer who served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from February to July 2024. He was elected a member of the Scottish Parliament for the electoral region of the Highlands and Islands in 2016, serving in various roles in the Conservative shadow cabinet before his appointment to the House of Lords in 2024. Cameron succeeded his father as the 28th Lochiel, the hereditary chief of Clan Cameron, in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Greene</span> Scottish Conservative politician

Jamie Gillan Greene is a Scottish politician who is a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the West Scotland region from 2016. He is a member of the Scottish Conservatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Ballantyne</span> British Reform UK politician

Michelle Lorraine Ballantyne is a British property developer, former politician and nurse who served as Leader of Reform UK Scotland from January 2021 to February 2022. She was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the South Scotland region from 2017 to 2021, having been elected for the Scottish Conservatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Duguid (politician)</span> Scottish Conservative Party politician

David James Duguid is a Scottish Conservative politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Banff and Buchan from June 2017 to May 2024. Duguid's victory ended thirty years of Scottish National Party control of the seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Halcro Johnston</span> Scottish Conservative politician

Jamie Halcro Johnston is a British politician who is a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Highlands and Islands region since 2017. A member of the Scottish Conservative Party, he also serves as their Shadow Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">February 2020 Scottish Conservatives leadership election</span> 1–13 February 2020 election of the leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

The February 2020 Scottish Conservative Party leadership election was the fourth internal party election to elect the next leader of the Scottish Conservatives, part of the British Conservative Party and the second-largest political party in the devolved Scottish Parliament. Ruth Davidson, who won the previous leadership election in 2011, resigned on 29 August 2019. Two candidates contested the election: Jackson Carlaw MSP, who served as the Scottish Conservatives' interim leader, and Michelle Ballantyne MSP. Carlaw was seen as the favourite in the contest, and won the endorsement of most of the party's MSPs and MPs. Carlaw won the election on 14 February 2020, winning more than three-quarters of the votes of party members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August 2020 Scottish Conservatives leadership election</span>

The August 2020 Scottish Conservative Party leadership election was the fifth internal party election to elect the next leader of the Scottish Conservatives, part of the British Conservative Party and the second-largest political party in the devolved Scottish Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas Lumsden</span> Scottish Conservative politician

Douglas Aaron Lumsden is a Scottish Conservative Party politician. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the North East Scotland region since the election in May 2021. He was previously the co-leader of Aberdeen City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Scottish Conservatives leadership election</span>

The 2024 Scottish Conservatives leadership election took place on 27 September 2024 after Douglas Ross announced his resignation on 10 June. Russell Findlay won the election and became Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party.

References

  1. 1 2 Ross, Douglas Gordon. A & C Black. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U287469. ISBN   978-0-19-954088-4. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Who is Tory MP Douglas Ross?". BBC News. 26 May 2020. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  3. ↑ "Douglas Ross". Forres Gazette. 11 June 2014. Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  4. ↑ Johnson, Simon (26 May 2020). "Who is Douglas Ross, the first minister to resign over the Dominic Cummings furore?". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  5. ↑ Rhodes, Mandy (20 May 2020). "Moo-ving on up: interview with Scotland Office minister Douglas Ross". Holyrood. Dods Group. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "Senior planning councillor ousted following Moray school closure row". STV News . 7 November 2014. Archived from the original on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  7. ↑ Robertson, John (25 November 2014). "Ousted Moray councillor to fight for Westminster seat". The Press and Journal . Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "Election 2016: Highlands and Islands Scottish Parliament region". BBC News . 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  9. ↑ "EU referendum debate: How did your MSP vote?". BBC News. 26 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  10. ↑ "General election 2017: SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson loses seat". BBC News. 9 June 2017. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  11. ↑ Shedden, Sam (23 August 2017). "New Tory MP Douglas Ross slammed for anti-Traveller comment". The Scotsman . Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  12. ↑ Kirkaldy, Liam (24 August 2017). "Amnesty International calls for Douglas Ross to apologise over gypsy remarks". Holyrood. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "Tory MP Douglas Ross apologises for 'Gypsy traveller' comments". BBC News. 25 August 2017. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  14. ↑ "Football official and MP's 'gypsy' comments probed by SFA". STV. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  15. 1 2 "No formal SFA action over Douglas Ross 'gypsy' comments". STV. 14 September 2017. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  16. ↑ "Tory MP misses vote to be assistant referee at Champions League game". BBC News. 18 October 2017. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  17. 1 2 "Referee Tory MP Douglas Ross to miss World Cup". BBC News. 27 October 2017. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  18. ↑ "Moray parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  19. ↑ "Moray MP Douglas Ross appointed Scotland Office minister". BBC News. 17 December 2019. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  20. ↑ Ross, Douglas [@Douglas4Moray] (26 May 2020). "I haven't commented publicly on the situation with Dominic Cummings as I have waited to hear the full details. I welcome the statement to clarify matters, but there remains aspects of the explanation which I have trouble with. As a result I have resigned as a government Minister" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. ↑ "Minister quits over Cummings' lockdown actions". BBC News. 26 May 2020. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  22. ↑ "Douglas Ross confirmed as Scottish Conservative leader". BBC News . BBC. 5 August 2020. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  23. 1 2 Sanderson, Daniel (11 August 2020). "Ruth Davidson's return to frontline politics confirmed as Douglas Ross announces first reshuffle". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  24. ↑ Johnson, Simon (8 March 2021). "Douglas Ross challenges other opposition leaders to back no confidence votes in Sturgeon and Swinney". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.(subscription required)
  25. ↑ "Scottish Conservatives to press on with vote of no confidence in John Swinney this week". HeraldScotland. 7 March 2021. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  26. ↑ Gordon, Tom (12 May 2021). "Douglas Ross makes Commons ally Stephen Kerr Scots Tory whip". The Herald . Glasgow. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  27. ↑ Webster, Laura (8 May 2021). "Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross wins seat on Highlands and Islands list". The National . Glasgow. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  28. ↑ Clark, Jonathan (18 November 2021). "Moray's Conservative MP Douglas Ross rejects calls to resign after failing to fully record his salaries". The Northern Scot . Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  29. ↑ "Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross in job 'sleaze' row". BBC News. 13 November 2021. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  30. ↑ "Scottish Tory leader refers himself to watchdog over undeclared income". The Guardian. 13 November 2021. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  31. 1 2 Cassidy, Rory (13 November 2021). "Douglas Ross blasted for own goal over failing to declare referee payments". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  32. ↑ "Douglas Ross 'sorry' and reports himself to watchdog over £28,000 of undeclared salaries". HeraldScotland. 13 November 2021. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  33. ↑ Davey, Mark (13 November 2021). "SNP hit out at 'triple jobs Ross' for failing to declare thousands". www.standard.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  34. ↑ Brown, Hannah (12 January 2022). "Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross 'not a big figure', says Jacob Rees-Mogg". The Scotsman. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  35. ↑ "Boris Johnson no-confidence letters: Which Tory MPs have written to 1922 committee to force leadership contest". Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  36. ↑ "Scottish Tory leader withdraws letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson". The Guardian. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  37. ↑ "How Scottish Conservative MPs voted and what they said about Boris Johnson". Dundee Courier. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  38. ↑ "Douglas Ross: 'I'll continue as leader' after election blow". BBC News. 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  39. ↑ "SNP MP Lisa Cameron defects to the Conservatives, citing 'toxic and bullying' culture". Politics.co.uk . 12 October 2023.
  40. ↑ Gordon, Tom (13 October 2023). "Lisa Cameron's defection has deeper roots than deselection threat". The Herald .
  41. ↑ "Which Scottish MPs are leaving the Commons?". BBC News. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  42. ↑ @tomorrowsMPs (6 June 2024). "ABERDEENSHIRE NORTH & MORAY EAST: in fact, Douglas Ross was the very first MP in the 2019-24 Parliament to announce, in October 2021, that he would step down at this election. I should also add that 26% of this new Ross seat comes from his old one called simply Moray" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  43. ↑ "Former minister not selected to stand in election". BBC News. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  44. ↑ "Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross to stand in election". BBC News. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  45. ↑ "Douglas Ross to resign as leader of Scottish Conservatives". BBC News . 10 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  46. ↑ Clark, Johnny (10 June 2024). "Moray's Douglas Ross to stand down as Scottish Conservatives leader". The Northern Scot . Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  47. ↑ "Why is our Union special?". Policy Exchange. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  48. 1 2 "Douglas Ross promises 'Mackay's Law' to oust absent MSPs". BBC News. 3 October 2021. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  49. ↑ "Scottish Tory leader attacks Boris Johnson's over-centralised approach". The Guardian. 2 November 2020. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  50. ↑ Mcilkenny, Stephen (27 March 2021). "Anas Sarwar responds to Douglas Ross letter calling for 'pro-Union coalition'". The Herald. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  51. ↑ "Who is Scots Tory leader Douglas Ross?". BBC News. 18 September 2020. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  52. ↑ "Scottish Cup final: Willie Collum to referee Inverness CT v Falkirk". BBC Sport. 13 May 2015. Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  53. ↑ "Scotland - D. Ross - Profile with news, career statistics and history". uk.soccerway.com. Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  54. ↑ "Whistle blown on MSP Douglas Ross's refereeing clash". BBC News. 23 November 2016. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  55. ↑ PA, Ronnie Esplin (16 March 2023). "Assistant referee Douglas Ross targeted by Celtic fans". The Irish News. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  56. ↑ "House of Commons – The Register of Members' Financial Interests (9 October 2017: Ross, Douglas)". publications.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  57. ↑ Gordon, Tom (14 December 2017). "Scottish Tory MP Douglas Ross's outside football earnings top £11,000". The Sunday Herald. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  58. 1 2 "Referee Douglas Ross not convinced by full-time switch". BBC Sport. 7 December 2018. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  59. ↑ "Tory leader sorry for missing VJ Day event for match". BBC News. 16 August 2020. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  60. ↑ "England Vs Wales friendly". The Guardian. 8 October 2020. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  61. ↑ Mcilkenny, Stephen (1 November 2020). "FIFA asked to investigate use of Douglas Ross linesman photo in Scottish Conservative party leaflet". The Herald. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  62. 1 2 "Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross returns to refereeing role". BBC News. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  63. ↑ Beresford, Alan (13 March 2019). "Oh baby! Frantic dash for MP father". The Northern Scot. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  64. ↑ "Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross welcomes birth of second son". BBC News. 30 June 2021. Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Moray
2017–2024 		Constituency abolished
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party
2020–2024 		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.