THE Scottish Tory leader was caught in the crossfires as Keir Starmer gave his verdict on Boris Johnson’s apology for breaking his own Covid laws.

Douglas Ross was singled out by the Leader of the Opposition as he tore into Johnson’s affect on those close to him, criticising the Tory chief for dragging people down with him.

In January Ross did call for the Prime Minister to resign after he admitted to attending a party at Downing Street while Covid laws prohibited such behaviour.

But with the war in Ukraine dominating headlines by March, the Moray MP decided that was more important – and used it as an excuse to withdraw his call for Johnson’s resignation.

After Johnson and his Chancellor received fixed-penalty notices, Ross did not row back on his defence of the Prime Minister. He continued to argue the Ukraine situation meant Johnson should stay in place.

After Johnson offered his “wholehearted apology” to the Commons today, Starmer gave his verdict on the whole saga.

“As ever with this PM, those close to him find themselves ruined and the institutions he vows to protect damaged,” he said.

“Good ministers forced to walk away from public service. The Chancellor’s career up in flames and the leader of the Scottish Conservatives rendered pathetic.

“For all those familiar with the Prime Minister’s career, this isn’t some fixable glitch in the system, it’s the whole point.”

During his response to Johnson's statement, Starmer called on him to resign following his “half-hearted” apology.

The Labour leader said he spoke to John Robinson, a constituent of Conservative MP Michael Fabricant (Lichfield), about how he and his family obeyed the rules and could not spend time with his wife before she died and had to limit numbers at the funeral.

Starmer said: “Doesn’t the Prime Minister realise that John would have given the world to hold his dying wife’s hand even if it was just for nine minutes, but he didn’t because he followed the Prime Minister’s rules, rules we now know the Prime Minister blithely, repeatedly and deliberately ignored.

“After months of insulting excuses, today’s half-hearted apology will never be enough for John Robinson.

“If the Prime Minister had any respect for John and the millions like him who sacrificed everything to follow the rules, he’d resign, but he won’t because he doesn’t respect John, he doesn’t respect the sacrifice of the British public, he’s a man without shame.”

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