The National:

THE Scottish Tories probably consider Douglas Ross’s appearance at last night’s STV Leaders’ Debate a success, in the sense that it wasn’t *quite* as bad as the previous abysmal BBC performance.

You can imagine the scenes at Conservative HQ. “How are things looking on the socials?” one adviser may ask. “Well, a clip of him being told to grow up hasn’t gone viral this time. Get the champagne out!”

Despite this, it still wasn’t a good night for Ross – to put it mildly. The format didn’t suit him, and the Unionist party leaders weren’t kind enough to play softball with him as they’d done with each other during the cross-examinations.

READ MORE: STV debate: Independence is the winner as Harvie and Sturgeon trounce opponents

It was his exchanges with Nicola Sturgeon and Patrick Harvie which had him like a deer in the headlights the most though – with an awkward gaffe about Nicola Sturgeon’s former school, challenging questions on his climate priorities and comments on Travellers and a reminder of a particularly unpleasant "pint of cold sick" claim.

In no particular order, these were the most awkward moments for the Scottish Tory leader.

1. Patrick Harvie challenges him on comments about Travellers

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie asked Ross about remarks he had made against the Traveller community. He accused Ross of having “broken trust with them” after saying in an interview that if he were PM for a day, he’d bring about tougher enforcement against the community.

Harvie put to the MP: “You’ve campaigned against their right to legal Traveller sites for a decade and when your attempts to stop one of them failed you complained about what you called ‘having to bend over backwards for this ethnic minority’.

The National:

“Is it your whole party that is prejudiced against Gypsy Travellers or just you?”

While Ross often calls independence a “divisive” issue, Harvie told him he’d built his career on “divisive language and action against one of Scotland’s most marginalised communities”.

The Scottish Tory leader said he’d previously apologised for the comment made during the 2017 interview, before responding to the remark about “bending over backwards for this ethnic minority”.

READ MORE: Douglas Ross: Comments on Travellers from Scottish Tory leader unearthed

He defended his stance, telling the panel: “In my 10 years as a local councillor and in my time as an MSP and an MP, I’ve always stood up for constituents who have come to me seeking action on issues that they are worried about.

“There was a big issue and we formally had a legal site. It had to be closed by over 100 officers from the former Grampian police because of illegal activity which took place there.

“I will continue to act on behalf of constituents who come to me as a representative, seeking help and advocate the points they put forward.”

He said there was more to be done for the Traveller community, before adding he would “never, ever refuse to stand up [for] constituents who come to me seeking help”.

Harvie pointed out that “the Gypsy travellers are your constituents too”.

2. Greenwood Academy

Douglas Ross appeared not to have done his research as he put a question to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Greenwood Academy – saying it was in her constituency of Glasgow Southside.

In actual fact the secondary school is the one she attended in Ayrshire. He was derailed in his attempt to pressure Sturgeon on school inspections, which he says there have not been enough of, as the SNP leader picked up on his gaffe.

A bemused Sturgeon pointed out that her niece goes to the school and praised the institution. It was an awkward moment, and better research could have avoided it altogether.

3. Children’s rights

Nicola Sturgeon grilled Ross on why his party is referring two bills unanimously approved by Holyrood – on children’s rights and local government – to the Supreme Court. Ross insisted the problems the Government has with the bill are “small, technical” matters, but the SNP leader had the receipts.

The FM told him: “They don’t want to be bound by section 6 which says ‘it is unlawful for a public authority to act in a way incompatible with the UN convention’ – that doesn’t sound technical, that’s pretty fundamental.

“Look Douglas, why can’t you just say this is a devolved issue, it was passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament, it’s about protection of the rights of children for goodness sake. Why can’t you just say to the UK Government, butt out you should not be challenging this decision in the Scottish Parliament, backed by the Scottish Tories, in court.”

Ross then repeated the line about supporting the bill in “principle” – to which Sturgeon asked: “So they want to challenge it in court?”

This is sure to be an issue the pro-independence parties use to their advantage throughout the campaign, and it looks like the Scottish Tories don’t have their rebuttal fully in place.

4. Climate

The climate is proving to be a definite weak spot for Ross, as he struggled on it during the first BBC Leaders’ Debate too. Patrick Harvie and Willie Rennie challenged him on his support for a third runway at Heathrow and ongoing support for oil and gas extraction in the North Sea.

Willie Rennie looked stunned as Ross insisted a third runway would bring benefits for future generations in northern Scotland in terms of business, while failing to acknowledge the climate consequences of pushing flying as a transport method.

“We’ve got to ensure we’re connected, because it’s with that connectivity that we can recover as a nation,” Ross said – as if there are no other sustainable transport methods available.

5. A pint of cold sick

Nicola Sturgeon challenged Ross on comments he made in 2018 on the impact the UK Government’s Brexit deal would have on Scotland’s fishing industry. The SNP leader quoted Ross back to him, as he’d said “it would be easier to get someone to drink a pint of cold sick than to try to sell this as a success”.

READ MORE: Douglas Ross called out on Brexit impact on Scottish fishing industry

Ross said he accepted not enough has been done for the fishing industry and “we need to do far more”. That’s an understatement – while fishing bosses say things are improving, they believe Westminster is “in denial” about the scale of the problems facing the sector. Data released in March said the fish and shellfish industries suffered a huge 83% export drop in January.

Sturgeon asked if the Scottish Tory leader just does “whatever the UK Government says”. He responded by warning her against “picking fights”.