SCOTTISH Conservative MSPs are earning thousands of pounds from second jobs outside Holyrood, it has emerged.

The revelation comes in the wake of the ongoing sleaze scandal at Westminster and after Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross was forced to apologise for not registering all his outside income to the UK Parliament.

An audit of the register of interests for MSPs by Labour published today has found that at the start of this month seven Scottish Conservative MSPs had second jobs, with a grand total of £325,500 expected to be earned between them.

The earnings are on top of their MSP salary of £64,470 a year and exclude other roles in governance, such as being an MP or councillor, and rental income.

Alexander Burnett, the Tory MSP for Aberdeenshire West, is making by far the most money outside Holyrood – his register of interests puts his estimated earnings at between £192,000 to £205,000.

READ MORE: Revealed: The 20 Scots MPs making up to £23,000 on the side

It states that he is a director of property firm Bancon Developments Holdings Limited and he expects to receive remuneration in the range of £20,001 to £25,000 for the year ended March 31 2022.

In addition, Burnett’s register of interests also states he is the owner of AJA Burnett Estate, a property leasing and forestry undertaking in Banchory. It says that the level of profits and losses fluctuates and that he anticipates to withdraw between £170,001 and £180,000 in 2021/22 for spending “between 0 and 1 day per month” on the role.

Donald Cameron, the Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands, is the next highest earner, earning around £50,000 according to his register of interests.

The party’s constitutional spokesman retired on November 2 from his role as a non-executive director of Murray Income Trust, an investment company in Edinburgh. However, he states that he expects to earn between £25,001 and £30,000 from the role which had involved attending five board meetings per year.

Cameron’s register also states that he is a non-executive director of a second investment company, Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust, for which he expects to earn between £25,001 and £30,000 per annum.

Edward Mountain has the third highest earnings of the seven Tory MSPs with second jobs listed. He expects to earn between £35,000 and £40,000 from his farming business.

The register of interests for the Highlands and Islands MSP reveals he is a partner in Delfur Farms Farming Partnership, of Moray, a farming business with ancillary residential lettings.

READ MORE: Douglas Ross 'sorry' and reports himself over £28,000 of undeclared salaries

Mountain says: “I draw down capital to cover utilities and insurance for my home of between £35,001 and £40,000 per annum. I expect to spend two to four hours a week overseeing the business.”

Tory MSPs Sandesh Gulhane, Finlay Carson and Jamie Halcro Johnston expect to earn up to £35,000, £15,000 and £5000 respectively according to their register.

Gulhane’s outside earnings come from his work as a GP, while Carson’s and Halcro Johnston’s come from business and farming interests.

According to his register of interests, Liam Kerr, Tory MSP for North East Scotland, expects to receive dividends from legal company Trinity Kerr Limited of between £500 and £2000 per annum.

Scottish Labour business manager Neil Bibby said: “There is no greater privilege and duty than to serve the people of Scotland as an MSP – that so many Tory members are happy to pocket thousands working second jobs at the same time is shameful.

“This is nothing other than the same Tory sleaze we have seen revealed at Westminster in recent weeks. It is high time that Douglas Ross got his house in order and clamped down on these MSPs who view serving the people as a part-time hobby.”

Over the weekend it emerged Ross has referred himself to the Westminster authorities after a Herald investigation found he failed to declare more than £28,000.

READ MORE: Richest Tory MPs bring in up to an eye-watering £1.6m each in second jobs

The Scottish Tory leader helped referee 16 football matches between October and January 2021, making almost £7000, but did not record the income in the Commons register of interests.

The Moray MP also failed to declare his salary as a Holyrood list MSP, which is worth £21,000 a year. It is understood he will register his MSP salary monthly from now.

Ross, who has faced repeated controversy over his second job as a football official, said the omissions were a “genuine mistake” and he has now referred himself to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

The development comes as the Tories face a public backlash over sleaze and second jobs. Former Tory attorney general Sir Geoffrey Cox MP was revealed to have earned more than £1 million in legal fees in the last year.

In a statement the Scottish Tories accused Labour of hypocrisy after it was revealed Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the UK party has received a six-figure sum for his work as a lawyer.

A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: “These payments are all in the public domain because they have been declared transparently through the Scottish Parliament.

“It’s jaw-dropping hypocrisy to hear this attack from a Labour party led across the UK by a lawyer who raked in more than £115,000 for second jobs.

“And Labour should apologise for trying to smear Dr Sandesh Gulhane for being an NHS doctor. His frontline experience is incredibly valuable in holding the SNP Government to account.

"While Humza Yousaf goes on PR photo ops and Labour launch desperate political attacks, Dr Gulhane treats patients in Scotland’s NHS every week, and uses his medical expertise to put forward leading proposals like his plan for a network of long Covid clinics.”