BORIS Johnson has "given Douglas Ross the red card" – as the Prime Minister was forced to propose rule changes that would bar the Scottish Tory leader from retaining his second and third jobs as a football referee and an MSP.
The PM has been forced to propose rule changes, including a proposal that "The code of conduct for MPs should be updated to state that: Any outside activity undertaken by an MP, whether remunerated or unremunerated, should be within reasonable limits and should not prevent them from fully carrying out their range of duties."
It comes after it was revealed that Ross has broken parliamentary rules by failing to declare £28,218.57 in outside earnings from his second job as an MSP and third job as a football referee, including £6,728.57 from 16 football matches in 2020-2021.
A separate investigation from the Sunday Mail later found Ross had also broken the rules by failing to declare income on time from a further 26 football games since being elected.
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The Scottish Tory leader has missed multiple votes, important events, and parliamentary meetings at Westminster and Holyrood to earn thousands of pounds from his outside interests, including running the line on a football pitch.
Ross has previously been admonished for missing votes on Tory Universal Credit cuts, important Covid pandemic meetings, and VJ Day services in his constituency in order to earn money as a referee.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford tweeted: "Boris Johnson has thrown Douglas Ross under the bus, with proposals that force the Scottish Tory Leader to quit his second and third jobs as a referee and MSP.
"You can't be in three places at once. [Douglas Ross] has missed key votes and debates. How much longer before he quits?"
Boris Johnson has thrown Douglas Ross under the bus, with proposals that force the Scottish Tory Leader to quit his second and third jobs as a referee and MSP.
— Ian Blackford (@Ianblackford_MP) November 16, 2021
You can't be in three places at once. @Douglas4Moray has missed key votes and debates. How much longer before he quits?
The SNP's shadow leader of the house Pete Wishart MP (below) said: "Boris Johnson has given Douglas Ross the red card, and hung him out to dry, by proposing rule-changes that would force the Scottish Tory Leader to quit his second and third jobs as an MSP and football referee.
"It simply isn't possible to carry out the full range of duties as an MP, MSP and referee at the same time. You cannot be in three places at once, and Mr Ross has demonstrated this by missing important votes, debates, and parliamentary meetings time and again.
"The Scottish Tory leader has already fallen foul of the rules by 'forgetting' to declare tens of thousands of pounds in outside earnings from 42 football matches and his top-up salary as a part-time MSP. Now the Prime Minister has thrown Mr Ross under the bus, it's impossible to see how he can continue juggling all these balls and remain in his position.
"With every day that goes by, Douglas Ross loses more credibility. It's surely only a matter of time before the Scottish Tories ditch him and look for a new leader."
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