PRESSURE is growing on the Scottish Conservatives to resume their demands for the Prime Minister to resign after it was revealed he and the Chancellor will be fined for breaking Covid lockdown rules.
Downing Street has confirmed Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson are set to receive fines for flouting Covid restrictions.
Michelle Thomson, SNP MSP for Falkirk East, said: “By not condemning it, they are condoning it.”
She suggested failing to resume calls for the Prime Minister would amount to being “complicit” in his rule-breaking by passively condoning his behaviour.
The fixed penalty notices relate to a birthday party held for Johnson by his wife Carrie Johnson - who will also be fined - in the Cabinet Room, also attended by Sunak, Downing Street has confirmed.
READ MORE: Douglas Ross refuses to call on Boris Johnson to quit over Met partygate fine
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has now said "it wouldn't be right to remove the Prime Minister at this time", because of the war in Ukraine.
He said: "The public are rightly furious at what happened in Downing Street during the pandemic. I understand why they are angry and share their fury.
“The behaviour was unacceptable. The Prime Minister now needs to respond to these fines being issued.
"However, as I've made very clear, in the middle of war in Europe, when Vladimir Putin is committing war crimes and the UK is Ukraine's biggest ally, as President Zelensky said at the weekend, it wouldn't be right to remove the Prime Minister at this time.
“It would destabilise the UK Government when we need to be united in the face of Russian aggression and the murdering of innocent Ukrainians."
Thomson told The National: “Does Douglas Ross stand by his statement ‘If he’s lied, he should go’ or does he not?
“Of course the Tories should be saying something.
“If they don’t come out and do something, they are complicit in this.
“This can only be condemned and if they’re not prepared to condemn it, then they are complicit.”
Ross withdrew his letter to the 1922 Committee calling for a no-confidence vote last month, telling the BBC “the middle of an international crisis is not the time to be discussing resignations”.
Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baillie condemned Ross' refusal to call on the Prime Minister to resign, calling him "spineless".
She said: "This is a shameful attempt by Douglas Ross to hide his lack of principle behind the ongoing tragedy in Ukraine.
“That Douglas Ross does not have the spine to condemn Boris Johnson's actions and demand his removal from office is simply shocking.
“Even Ruth Davidson - who is currently being wheeled out by Scottish Tory spin doctors to save them from electoral oblivion -has said that Boris Johnson must go.
“No one is above the law and it is simply unacceptable to use the human tragedy in Ukraine to shield the Prime Minister.
“Douglas Ross should hang his head in shame.”
Ian Blackford, the SNP’s Westminster leader, has also called on both to resign.
He said the Prime Minister had at times “simply laughed” when confronted about breaking the law.
Blackford said: “Johnson and Sunak have overseen one of the biggest lockdown breaches that has led to the Metropolitan Police issuing a staggering number of fines for rule-breaking.
"The Prime Minister and Chancellor's positions are untenable. They have insulted the millions of people who faithfully followed the rules that they set – even when that meant the heartbreak of not being present for the births, marriages or the deaths of loved ones.”
It also comes after a string of embarrassing revelations about Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty.
Murty was forced to end her status as a non-dom, meaning she legally paid no tax on her overseas earnings.
And the Chancellor was found to have held a US green card while a minister and MP.
The ownership of a green card – which allows a person permanent residency in the USA – raised questions about Sunak’s commitment to serving the UK as a minister.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel