A CLIP of Douglas Ross claiming that he believes Boris Johnson is a “truthful man” has resurfaced in the wake of a new report which found the former PM repeatedly lied to Parliament.
The Privileges Committee said that it would have recommended a 90-day suspension for Johnson had he still been a sitting MP.
It said his comments on the committee carrying out its work amounted to “an attack on our democratic institutions”.
Why is Douglas Ross not facing questions about Boris Johnson today? This is why. Be a shame for Douglas if this was to be shared and retweeted. pic.twitter.com/ou7ULqzXrj
— MSM Monitor (@msm_monitor) June 15, 2023
During an interview with BBC Radio Scotland in April 2022, Douglas Ross was asked if the then-prime minister was a “truthful man” amid questions over lockdown parties.
The Scottish Tory leader replied: “Yes. And he’s dealing with the situation in Ukraine and he’s dealing with the situation at home here.”
Ross did stress that it was important for Johnson to explain the circumstances around his police fine to the House of Commons, however.
Johnson, his wife Carrie and then-chancellor Rishi Sunak were all given fixed penalty notices for their part in lockdown-busting parties at the height of the pandemic.
Many took to Twitter to question Ross’s thinking at the time, asking him what he would make in light of the release of the Privileges Committee report.
“Douglas Ross must regret this. Wonder what he will be saying today”, one user commented.
As Johnson is no longer an MP, the committee could not recommend him for suspension.
However, the MPs who formed it said that he should be denied a former members’ pass – barring him from the Houses of Parliament.
MPs will be given a chance to vote on the recommendations of the report on Monday.
Johnson launched a fresh attack on the report shortly after its release, saying: “This is rubbish. It is a lie.
“This is a dreadful day for MPs and for democracy.”
