JACOB Rees-Mogg has refused to retract his comments about the Scottish Conservative leader – including that he is a “lightweight” politician and not a “big figure” in politics.
The Leader of the Commons was asked multiple times if he regretted making the comments on LBC and the BBC on Wednesday night. He had made the claims about Ross after the Scottish Tory leader and a huge number of his MSPs called for Boris Johnson’s resignation amid the Downing Street party row.
The Prime Minister has apologised for attending a “bring your own booze” party in the Downing Street garden in May 2020, during the first coronavirus lockdown, but insisted he believed it was a work event and could “technically” have been within the rules.
READ MORE: Jacob Rees-Mogg's attacks on Douglas Ross backfire spectacularly
However, Ross said Johnson’s position was “no longer tenable”.
Pressed on the Moray MP’s intervention during media appearances to defend the Prime Minister, Rees-Mogg made the digs.
The SNP called on the Conservative to issue an apology to Ross, and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she wouldn’t use the “derogatory” language chosen by his colleagues.
Rees-Mogg avoided the demands for an apology during business questions in the Commons.
Later, Ross gave his response to Rees-Mogg – saying everyone is “entitled to their opinions” but stressing he didn’t agree.
He went on: “My message is I’m going to hold the First Minister to account and ensure that Scottish Conservatives continue to provide a real alternative here in Scotland.”
Later on Thursday afternoon, despite the brewing row and anger within the Scottish Conservatives over the “lightweight” comment – Rees-Mogg refused to take it back.
Instead, when questioned by STV, he said three times: “I think people who hold office within the Conservative Party should support the leader.”
.@Jacob_Rees_Mogg declines to retract his description of Douglas Ross as a 'lightweight'
— ITV News Politics (@ITVNewsPolitics) January 13, 2022
'I think people who hold office within the Conservative Party should support the leader,' he says three times in response to questions from @AnushkaAsthana https://t.co/nlW8TrqHJu pic.twitter.com/Qt8fnc6e1I
Sturgeon condemned Rees-Mogg’s use of language during FMQs on Thursday afternoon amid the row.
She told the Chamber: “These might be personal insults directed at the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, but actually they say something much deeper about the Westminster establishment’s utter contempt for Scotland.
“If they can’t even show basic respect for their own colleagues, what chance do the rest of us have?
“The fact is Westminster thinks Scotland doesn’t need to be listened to, can be ignored.”
She added that this meant “an added benefit of being independent is that we will no longer have to put up with being treated like something on the sole of Westminster’s shoe”.
Sturgeon went on: “I suspect today even Douglas Ross finds that a really attractive proposition.”
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