IT was billed as the “Next Leader of Scotland”, but Channel 4’s debate with our five main political leaders descended at times into a second-rate farce with constant interruptions by Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross and an admission from him that “I would love to be first minister”.

The leaders’ debate ahead of next week’s Holyrood election was the first to be broadcast to the whole of the UK. Some might have laughed out loud when Ross said he believed Boris Johnson, who denied saying he would rather see “the bodies pile high in the street”, than order a third lockdown.

“Those comments are unacceptable from anyone, whatever level of elected office or any individual at all and I would never support those comments, but the Prime Minister has said he did not make them,” said Ross.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who chaired the debate, said Ross had wanted to keep Johnson away from the Scottish campaign and asked if he believed the PM’s denial.

Ross replied: “He is someone that was taken into intensive care himself, he saw first-hand what our nurses and doctors had to do to protect lives at the peak of this pandemic and I believe him when he says he did not make the remarks that have been attributed to him.”

READ MORE: Recap and poll: Who do you think won the Channel 4 Scottish leaders' debate?

He and the Tories had tried to oust First Minister Nicola Sturgeon over her government’s handling of harassment complaints against Alex Salmond, and she faced questions about that last night.

However, she hit back at Ross’s hypocrisy: “We investigate them, we take appropriate action. In fact, you mentioned Alex Salmond – in some ways it’s because he didn’t like the fact that I wouldn’t cover up allegations that led to the differences of opinion between us.

“But I’m staggered by Douglas Ross’s, may I say it, hypocrisy here because when I faced those allegations he called for my resignation before I’d had any opportunity to even defend myself.

“Of course I was subsequently cleared of the allegations against me, and yet when the allegations are about his own boss, he simply says we’ve got to accept his word.

“There is a stench of sleaze around this UK Tory government. They’re acting as if the rules only apply to other people and that they and their wealthy friends can act with impunity … somehow they’re untouchable.

“Well, I think the message for people across Scotland and indeed in the rest of the UK where there are elections next week is show them they’re not untouchable.”

She added: “There needs to be a proper ... investigation into all of the allegations, whether it’s David Cameron and Boris Johnson’s text messages or these disgraceful comments that he’s accused of.”

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie was asked if they had given Sturgeon a “free pass” because they too supported independence.

He denied that and said the reality was that there was no breach of the ministerial code, whereas Johnson had kept his Home Secretary in office after bullying claims against her.

Harvie said support for the UK Government in Scotland was at “rock bottom”, adding that the Holyrood poll was about giving people a choice: “The election we have right now is about giving people in Scotland the option to choose between two possible paths for our country, one as a small independent country trying to get back into Europe, or the other is Boris Johnson’s Brexit Britain.”

Quizzed about the constitutional issue in the face of 40% of his own members supporting indyref2, Anas Sarwar, leader of Scottish Labour, said Boris Johnson and the Tories were the biggest threat to the UK.

“What this election can’t be about is what matters to politicians,” he said. “I’m not willing to accept that I’m only going to put forward a programme that speaks to the half of the country that agrees with me on the constitution.

“We need a recovery that works for everyone ... I don’t care if you voted Yes, No, Leave or Remain. I will work with anyone.”

Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie was critical of the “grotesque” claims of sleaze but took heart from the past year of political co-operation. Although he soon returned to familiar territory: “We’ve managed to work together to deal with some of the massive challenges that we faced ... but as soon as Nicola brought forward the independence bill, again, then the whole thing fell apart and that’s what it’s going to be like for the next five years.”

Guru-Murthy asked Sturgeon how she was going to avoid the consequences of the last referendum when “the country turned on itself”.

She responded: “Settling disagreements democratically for any country is not divisive. Politicians trying to dictate to people what the future should be. I think that is more divisive.

“You asked what kind of country I want to be first minister of – an open, inclusive, welcoming tolerant country where we build greater fairness and equality here ... and play our full constructive part across Europe and the world. That’s my vision of Scotland.”