THREE-job Tory politician Douglas Ross, has moaned that his work as an MSP is getting in the way of his football.

In a candid interview, Ross, who earns up to £40k a year for his work as a “specialist assistant football referee”, also says he won’t stop running the line if he gets elected to Westminster as his constituents like seeing him on the television.

The 34-year-old, who has only been in Holyrood a year, and was criticised for missing key votes and committee hearings so he could referee, is standing against Angus Robertson in Moray.

He told the i: “I’ve had to turn down appointments for a last 16 match of the Champions League and a Quarter Final of the Europa League, because I could see quite clearly people were annoyed that I had missed Parliament,”

That meant he missed officiating at matches between Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid in February, and also Celta Vigo and KRC Genk in March.

Asked whether he would continue in his role as a referee if elected as an MP, Ross replied: “I would hope so. People like the fact that there is someone local performing in big matches.”

Until last week, Ross was also a councillor in Moray. The former dairy farmer says he will quit as an MSP if elected to Westminster.

Stuart Donaldson, SNP candidate for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, commented: “This is astonishing. Douglas Ross is bleating about ‘negative publicity’ after being found out – but seems to be asking for sympathy because being an MSP has got in the way of his job as a referee, denying him free trips all over Europe.

“His latest comments show he is not remotely serious about the job of representing constituents on a full-time basis.”

“It’s clear where his priorities lie and it’s certainly not with the people of Moray – because despite admitting that local people are ‘annoyed’ at his double-jobbing, he still has the arrogance to say he won’t give up his refereeing.”