TORY MP Douglas Ross is rumoured to be the favourite to take over Jackson Carlaw as Scottish Conservative leader.
Carlaw announced his resignation earlier today, saying he is not the best person to make the case for Scotland staying in the Union.
READ MORE: Jackson Carlaw resigns as leader of the Scottish Conservatives
It has been reported that Ruth Davidson and John Lamont are backing Ross to take on the role.
Ross, who represents Moray, was the only UK minister to resign over the Dominic Cummings scandal.
The 37-year-old left his role in the Scotland Office, saying he had "trouble with" parts of Boris Johnson's statement about the issue.
It is believed Ross could be placed top of his party’s regional list in the Highland and Islands to secure a place in the Scottish Parliament.
READ MORE: Douglas Ross rumoured to take over as Jackson Carlaw quits
Ross, who was an MSP for a year before switching to Westminster in 2017, phoned Tory MSPs to canvas support within minutes of Carlaw quitting.
Douglas Ross has represented his local area since 2007, when he was first elected to Moray Council.
Born in Aberdeen he was raised locally, attending Forres Academy and the Scottish Agricultural College.
He worked as a dairyman at local farms before taking becoming a researcher at the Scottish Parliament.
He stood for the Conservatives in a series of elections for Westminster and Holyrood, eventually becoming an MSP via the Highlands and Islands regional list in 2016.
Ross acted as the party's justice spokesman at Holyrood but then won a seat at Westminster in the following year's General Election.
He took the Moray constituency from the SNP's deputy leader Angus Robertson, on the same night as former party leader Alex Salmond was ousted by fellow Tory Colin Clark.
READ MORE: Five of Jackson Carlaw's biggest blunders at First Minister's Questions
Before the Cummings scandal, Ross was loyal to Johnson, backing him in his leadership campaign in 2019 after Mark Harper was eliminated.
He said Johnson would "deliver most for the four nations of the United Kingdom" and would push through Brexit.
Ross backed Remain 2016 but said "we must complete Brexit" to "deliver the will of the British people".
The MP had voted against Theresa May's initial Brexit deal over concerns about what it could mean for the Union, and missed the second "meaningful vote" at Westminster after his wife went into labour.
Johnson campaigned with Ross in the 2019 General Election, visiting a distillery in Moray.
And when Colin Clark lost his seat to the SNP's Richard Thomson, Ross took his place as a junior Scotland Office minister.
In 2017, Ross came under fire for saying a crackdown of Gypsies and Travellers would be his number one priority if he were prime minister for a day.
The comments sparked outcry from anti-racism campaigners and provoked strong public condemnation.
READ MORE: Moray councillors reject call to condemn anti-gypsy Tory MP Douglas Ross
In February was blasted after he refused a TV debate on his government’s derided immigration plans to referee a football match in Ukraine.
READ MORE: Douglas Ross missed BBC immigration debate to referee football match
And earlier this month Ross was accused of sounding “ridiculous” after opposing the idea of Scottish Border restrictions due to Covid-19 – but backing similar measures in Australia.
READ MORE: Scottish Border: Douglas Ross accused of double standards amid row
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