DOUGLAS Ross has been accused of abusing taxpayer funds after the MP asked his office manager to wait outside his rented flat for five hours to wait on a plumber.
The outgoing Scottish Tory leader, whose boiler had been broken, reportedly asked a female employee to wait at the property in Edinburgh to give the tradesman access, according to the Sunday Mail.
It came as other members of staff tried to get to grips with Ross’s finances after he was accused of using his MP expenses to travel for his work as an assistant referee.
He was later cleared of any wrongdoing by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
However, one senior party figure told the Sunday Mail: “It was ridiculous as the team around Douglas were trying to understand his expenses and whether he had put any claims in while he was travelling for refereeing.
“They needed to see the original documents that had been submitted but the only person who was able to give them that detail was actually sitting outside this rented flat to let a plumber in.
“They were angry that they were trying to help Douglas and save his reputation while he’s got his office manager doing an errand that has nothing to do with their job, during the working day.”
The SNP have since hit out at Ross, with a spokesperson saying: “Perhaps if Douglas Ross didn’t have three jobs, he’d have time to deal with tasks that ordinary people have to do themselves – and not be completely out of touch with the people he is meant to represent.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Tories meanwhile has insisted Ross’s office manager was carrying out the errand in “personal time” as a favour to a “friend”.
Asked what Ross’s (below) boiler problems had to do with his political roles, his spokesman said: “Douglas and his office manager are friends. She volunteered to help him in her own time to assist with a boiler issue.”
The Daily Record previously reported that the SNP have upgraded the Aberdeenshire North & Moray East seat where Ross is standing to a “tier one” target.
Ross announced he would be standing in the seat after former Scotland Office minister David Duguid, who is unwell in hospital, was blocked from doing so.
