DOUGLAS Ross was told off by a BBC presenter for speaking an “awful lot about the SNP” during his morning media round on Tuesday.
The Scottish Tory leader is set to visit Perth and Kinross-shire alongside candidate Luke Graham, the former head of Boris Johnson’s “Union Unit”.
During his interview with the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland, Ross was first asked about what a future Conservative government’s plans would be to transition to net zero.
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He claimed the SNP and Labour had “turned their back” on the North Sea oil and gas sector and told host Laura Maxwell: “I mean I was with the Prime Minister last week up in Nigg.
"That is a yard that is still involved in the oil and gas industry at the moment but is also developing the renewable technologies that we need for that just transition to net zero.
“The two work hand in hand but with the Labour and the SNP policies of turning off the taps and turning their backs on these skilled workers in the North Sea and in the north east, we will lose those skills to other countries around the globe and they won’t be here in Scotland and in the UK to help us with that just transition to net zero.”
Moving on from this, Ross was asked if the Conservatives were losing the faith of businesses after dozens of leaders in the industry signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party’s economic plans.
“Well I’m looking at what businesses are saying here in Scotland and we’re on to speak about the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, a representative body of businesses in the north east of Scotland who are claiming that Labour’s policies will put at risk 100,000 jobs here in Scotland.
“Labour and the SNP have exactly the same policies that will decimate that industry in the north east of Scotland that’s so crucial for the whole of our country not just for the jobs but for our energy security here in Scotland and across the UK.”
Asked about looking at “wider business,” Ross (below) replied: “We’ve had budgets where we have provided business rates relief to businesses in hospitality, leisure and tourism.
“That business rates relief was very welcome in England. The Scottish Government, the SNP got the money to do that here in Scotland and failed to pass it on two years in a row.
“So here in Scotland people know that this SNP government and successive SNP governments have not been on the side of business and in key seats up and down the country it’ll be a straight choice at this election for voters to choose between the Scottish Conservatives…”
At this point, host Maxwell jumped in to say, “we’ve already heard from the SNP this morning so we don’t need you to tell us what their policies might or might not be”.
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Ross hit back saying it was a Tory policy and that he was “sorry” she didn’t want to hear about this.
The presenter again hit back, telling the Scottish Tory leader: “It’s not that I don’t want to hear it, it’s just you’re mentioning the SNP an awful lot there.”
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