INTERIM Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw has been reported to police over claims he committed voter fraud.
On polling day he took to Twitter to share a picture of himself outside his polling station, with the caption: “I’ve just voted at Clarkston Hall for @PM4EastRen. I voted to stop IndyRef2 and to get Nicola Sturgeon focused back on your schools and your hospitals, not separation.”
However, just two weeks before, Carlaw posted a picture of himself claimed he was sending his postal vote.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon to publish new legal case for indyref2 next week
The First Minister responded to the gaffe on Twitter, simply quote-tweeting the images side by side and posting an accompanying laughing-face emoji.
Scotland’s Brexit Secretary Mike Russell then got in on the act, posting to Twitter: “Eh?? Surely not as voting twice would be a criminal offence."
Carlaw has since explained that he had two proxy votes to cast yesterday morning while hitting back at both Sturgeon and Russell.
“Poor @NicolaSturgeon foolishly jumps on a bandwagon. I had two proxy votes to cast for constituents this morning.
“Both votes were cast for @PM4EastRen.”
“But then we know Nicola rarely bothers with facts these days.”
To the Brexit Secretary, he responded: “Even I thought @Feorlean was better than this insinuation.
But one National reader wasn’t buying Carlaw’s excuse.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We have received a report and we are conducting enquiries to establish the full circumstances.”
Meanwhile, at a press conference, Carlaw made clear he was interested in taking on the top job permanently.
Asked if he would be throwing his hat into the ring when the party holds its leadership contest, he replied: “I’ve enjoyed this campaign, I believe that I have helped bring clarity and focus to it.
“I believe there’s more that I can offer the Scottish Conservatives going forward but that’s not the immediate discussion that we need to have.”
He said it was “a disappointment” the number of Tory MPs north of the border has dropped but insisted the party was now the main opposition.
“Winning nearly 700,000 votes across the country is a fantastic achievement,” he said.
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