A SENIOR figure in the Scottish Conservatives has refused to publicly support Boris Johnson as leader of her party.

Instead, Liz Smith MSP, the party’s shadow finance secretary, said that the Prime Minister must “come up with what the truth is” before she can make a decision.

Suggesting that Johnson had not told the truth around the Christmas parties held on Downing Street while the rest of the UK was in lockdown, Smith told the BBC that “it's absolutely incumbent on any political party, but particularly those that are in government, to stick by the rules that they themselves are making”.

Asked if, in light of those comments, she thought Johnson was “fit to lead” the Tory Party, Smith said: “I think he has to come up with what the truth is and we'll make a judgment thereafter.

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“Because, you know, until we get that truth, nobody knows, least of all me, what the actual facts were. But things do not look good just now. And it's incumbent upon the Prime Minister to come forward with the truth.”

Smith (below), a list MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, further warned that the actions of her Tory colleagues in London would undermine public health messaging and compliance with Covid restrictions.

She told Good Morning Scotland: “I was appalled, quite frankly, about what had happened in Westminster, especially at a time where you are expecting government to take a lead and to lead by example.

The National:

“I think what's happened at Westminster is deeply regrettable and I think it's very difficult to put across a strong message, when that message is not clear and there's a lot of dubiety.”

When that same point was made by opposition politicians in the chamber at Holyrood on Thursday, Tory MSPs could be heard to jeer.

Green MSP Gillian Mackay said that “Boris Johnson has jeopardised public compliance with Covid measures” amidst a chorus of Conservative shouts.

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Mackay then asked the First Minister if she believed it was time for Johnson to resign.

Nicola Sturgeon replied: “Yes I do. While Gillian MacKay was asking her question, I had members of the Tory group shouting at me from a sedentary position that these issues had nothing to do with us here in the Scottish Parliament. I beg to differ.”

Compliance with Covid regulations is likely to become more important in the coming weeks, with England reintroducing precautions such as mask-wearing and a work from home order to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.

Public Health Scotland has asked that firms delay their Christmas parties to help keep the pandemic under control.

Smith told the BBC that the Scottish Conservatives had postponed their festive celebrations, and that she had changed her own plans as well.