Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross withdraws call for Boris Johnson to quit

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has withdrawn his call for Boris Johnson to step down as Prime Minister.

Mr Ross had written to the party’s 1922 committee to spark a leadership contest amid the row over Downing Street parties during lockdown.

However, he said this should now be “put on hold while there is war in Europe”.

Mr Ross – who is both an MP and an MSP – has withdrawn his letter, saying it is important to give full support to the UK Government’s efforts on Ukraine.

Earlier Thursday, it was confirmed that Mr Johnson will be attending the Scottish Conservatives Conference, which is taking place in Aberdeen on March 18-19.

The party said it would personally welcome the prime minister to deliver a speech on the war in Ukraine.

Mr Ross called for the Prime Minister’s resignation in January and said Mr Johnson’s position was “no longer tenable” after he admitted attending a Downing Street party during the Covid-19 lockdown.

He was later dismissed as “pretty easy a figure” by Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the House of Commons.

Mr Johnson had said he thought the May 2020 gathering was “technically within rules” and that he had “implicitly believed it to be a working event”.

However, he is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police and has given officers a questionnaire about his involvement – which has the same status as information given under caution.

Mr Ross was supported in his position by almost all of the party’s MSPs and later in January doubled down by saying he would not change his mind.

However, he has now said that “in the midst of an international crisis is not the time to discuss resignations”.

He added: “There will be a time and place to debate Partygate, but as even Keir Starmer said over the weekend, while Europe is at war, we should pause this.

“It is important that we all fully support what the UK Government is doing. In the face of appalling actions by Russia, the Government and Prime Minister need our support and they have mine and that of the entire Scottish Conservative Party.”

Other parties have criticized the move, with Labor leader Anas Sarwar saying Mr Ross “should not use the Ukraine crisis to back away from his principles” and Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie saying the Tory leader has “the backbone of a jellyfish “.

And SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford – who had previously denied rumors he was considering giving up his own post – said it was “an extremely humiliating about-face for Douglas Ross”.

He said Mr Ross had “disastrously undermined his own position” and was “undoubtedly on borrowed time”.

It was previously confirmed that Mr Johnson will attend the Scottish Tory conference later in March.

Another Conservative conference is taking place in Blackpool on the same dates, meaning it was assumed Mr Johnson would appear in Aberdeen via a video link or in a recorded message.

However, the party said it would “welcome him personally to talk about the war in Ukraine”.