DOUGLAS Ross received a birthday card from Boris Johnson just days after demanding his resignation – but has since been ignored by senior Downing Street figures.
The Prime Minister penned a handwritten message to the Scottish Tory leader to mark his 39th birthday on January 27, the Telegraph reports, as part of a “charm offensive” to win back the support of disaffected Tory MPs.
Two weeks earlier, Ross had publicly called for his Westminster boss to quit after details of rule-breaking parties on Downing Street were revealed.
Since then, it is reported, the Moray MP has been blanked by Johnson’s allies in Westminster.
Jacob Rees-Mogg publicly mocked Ross as a “lightweight” figure, while Michael Gove also made a jibe at his expense. He has since branded the Moray MP a political “super heavyweight”.
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According to the Telegraph, tensions soured during a 15-minute phone call in early January, when Ross told the Prime Minister to come clean over his involvement with lockdown bashes at Number 10.
Conservative sources told the paper that the Moray MP was “pleased to receive all birthday messages”, but that the card “raised eyebrows” among his staff.
The civil war within the party threatens to spell the end of Ross’s leadership if Johnson manages to cling to power.
It is reported the Scottish Tory leader will address his relationship with the Prime Minister in a speech soon, potentially in the closing speech at his party’s conference next month.
The card was part of an effort to get Tory MPs back on side, with Johnson also sending personal messages to colleagues to mark weddings and the births of children.
Johnson has also faced criticism from his own MPs for parroting a bogus conspiracy theory about Keir Starmer failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile while head of the Crown Prosecution Service.
Several MPs – including one former Cabinet minister – and the Prime Minister’s long-standing aide Munira Mirza quit last week in protest at his refusal to withdraw the comments.
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