SCOTTISH Conservative leader Douglas Ross will once again have four jobs as he resumes refereeing duties after an 18-month absence.
He took more than a year away from football following an injury but will work as a linesman for a League Cup match between Elgin City and Queen of the South on Saturday.
Ross, who is the MP for Moray and a Highlands MSP on top of his party and footballing roles, has found himself in hot water in the past over his refereeing and critics have said he should "focus on one of the other three jobs he currently holds."
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A qualified referee for nearly 20 years, he was criticised for missing a Commons vote for a game and later failed to declare his earnings from it.
He has officiated at top games at home and internationally, including assisting at the 2015 and 2018 Scottish Cup finals and Uefa Champions League matches involving Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Falkirk MP John McNally mocked him for missing a Commons vote on Universal Credit because he was refereeing the 2017 Barcelona match by holding up a red card, forcing then Prime Minister Theresa May to defend Ross.
He has also missed Scottish parliament committee meetings as well as skipping a VJ Day event to officiate at Kilmarnock versus St Johnstone in August 2020.
Ross no longer accepts appointments on weekdays while parliament is sitting due to the controversies around his absenteeism.
In November 2021, Ross referred himself to Commons authorities for failing to declare £6,700 in earnings from his fourth job as a Scottish Football Association match official.
Livingston MP Hannah Bardell, who once apologised for playing keepy-uppy in the House of Commons, suggested Ross should give up his match duties.
The women’s parliamentary football team @UKWPFC should have played their first match tonight ⚽️
— Hannah Bardell SNP MP 🏴🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ (@HannahB4LiviMP) November 20, 2018
Myself, @Alison_McGovern @tracey_crouch @LouHaigh @Steph_Peacock were all set but votes stopped us alas! Instead we had a kickabout and a photo in the chamber! pic.twitter.com/WT2lhh7Oym
She added: "After 18 months without him, it’s clear that Scottish football can continue just fine without Douglas Ross - no matter how important he thinks he is to the game.
"It’s time to give it up and focus on one of the other three jobs he currently holds.
"In the middle of a cost of living crisis where people are terrified to open their bills, Douglas Ross is choosing to run the line when he’s not dancing to the tune of whatever his Tory bosses in London are playing."
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