Douglas Ross says he has not been watching Tory leadership hustings

The Moray MP has so far refused to back either candidate, adding that he would “work with whoever” takes over from Boris Johnson as Prime Minister in September.

Ross was roundly mocked earlier this year for his flip-flopping over whether or not Johnson should remain in post, and has joined Scottish Secretary Alister Jack in remaining silent over which contender they would prefer to win.

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And now, Ross has admitted that he hasn’t been watching the hustings events taking part around the country as Truss and Sunak fight for Tory member votes.

Speaking to the Scotland on Sunday newspaper, Ross said: “I am not watching every hustings. We have an important one in Scotland and I want to hear the candidates afresh.

“In terms of getting away from it, you can’t, particularly in my position.

“I just hope the contest can be as clean and enlightening, but there have been obviously issues on both sides.”

The comments came in an interview where Ross detailed his activities during parliamentary recess, including a trip to the Turriff Show on a day off with his wife.

Ross has admitted he has not been watching the hustings events with Truss and Sunak

Ross added: “We walked around some of the stalls, walked past an NFU [National Farmers Union] event. They were having a panel and I got roped in.

“My wife ended up sitting in the NFU tent, on what I promised was a day off, for 90 minutes listening to me talking about the pig crisis and the fertiliser costs.

“She’s pretty much promised to never come with me to anything again.”

Last week, we told how Ross was urged to “show leadership” over the Scottish Tories' “shameful silence” in the wake of Truss stating that she would “ignore attention seeking” First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

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Truss’s comments during the hustings event in Exeter sparked fury from across the political spectrum - but few Scottish Tory politicians waded into the row.

Only six Tory MSPs spoke out, with Murdo Fraser and Stephen Kerr backing the comments, three indicating vague support of them on social media, and Maurice Golden admitted what Truss said was “ill-advised”.

All six Scottish Tory MPs, including Jack and Ross, remained quiet, as did 19 MSPs.

Ross and the majority of his fellow Scottish Tory politicians remained silent on the Truss-Sturgeon row

It comes as fellow contender Sunak vowed to reform the UK Government’s union unit in a bid to see off an independent Scotland.

The former chancellor said he would bring back the unit with a team of Number 10 staff in a bid to end the Whitehall mentality of “devolve and forget”.

Sunak admitted that ignoring Sturgeon and the SNP would be “dangerously complacent” and said they were an “existential threat” to the Union.

Meanwhile, the FM broke her silence on Truss’s jibe with a cheeky tweet at the weekend.