Scottish Tory leader in jobs 'sleaze scandal'
Douglas Ross was forced to refer himself to the Standards Commissioner for failing to declare thousands of pounds in outside earnings.
Last updated 13th Nov 2021
Scottish Tory Leader Douglas Ross MP is "knee-deep in the Tory sleaze scandal", the SNP has said.
Mr Ross was forced to refer himself to the Standards Commissioner for failing to declare thousands of pounds in outside earnings.
"I've made a big mistake here."
According to newspaper reports, the triple-jobbing MP failed to declare £28,218.57 in outside earnings from his second job as an MSP and third job as a football referee.
He told MFR "I've made a big mistake here.
"In my time as an MP I've tried to keep the register up to date and I've racked my brains to think about what happened in those couple of months in November and December last year that I didn't declare them"
"I can't come up with an answer, because there is no answer.
"I knew what I had to do and there are no excuses.
"I've rectified it now but it never should have got to that stage."
The undeclared income included £6,728.57 from 16 football matches in 2021 and 2020, and £21,490 in a top-up salary from his role as an MSP.
The SNP said that, since being elected, Mr Ross has missed multiple votes, important events, and parliamentary meetings at Westminster and Holyrood to earn thousands of pounds from his outside interests, including running the line on a football pitch.
SNP Westminster deputy leader Kirsten Oswald MP said: "The rule-breaking Scottish Tory leader must shift his attention from maximising his outside earnings and start focusing on his role as an MSP, which is supposed to be a full-time job.
"Failing to declare thousands of pounds from multiple side hustles is a clear breach of the rules but the bigger concern is that Mr Ross isn't doing the day job.
"He's missed crucial votes, including on Tory universal credit cuts, to rake in extra cash running the line at football matches.
"It is time to blow the whistle on Tory sleaze.
"People in Scotland deserve better than this and Mr Ross must finally decide whether he wants to be an MP, MSP or full-time referee.
"By desperately clinging onto his Westminster seat, Mr Ross has scored an own goal.
"Voters are not impressed, and people will rightly question whether he's doing it to make more money or because he's secretly planning to quit as an MSP when he is inevitably replaced as Scottish Tory leader."
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