DOUGLAS Ross was rapped in Holyrood as he accused Nicola Sturgeon of lying over membership figures in a fiery last stand for the First Minister in parliament.
The leader of the Scottish Conservatives was also challenged to reveal how many members his party had as Ross was repeatedly told off by the Presiding Officer – at one point attempting to make her calls for her.
EVERY second of this fiery exchange is worth watching 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/t4J9OAcyB9
— The National (@ScotNational) March 23, 2023
He refused a point of order as he grilled Sturgeon on the membership figure. Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone said the decision was one for her to make as chair.
And he was told off for using the word “lie” while discussing the SNP baselessly rubbishing reports their membership had dropped by 30,000.
Ross accused the First Minister of “treating the public like idiots”, while Sturgeon said the Conservatives cannot lecture anyone on integrity.
He said: “The house that Sturgeon, Salmond and Murrell built is collapsing.”
But Sturgeon hit back pointing to new polling released on Thursday showing her net favourability rating at 8% while Ross’s sat at -39%.
The First Minister said the poll was “not happy reading” for the Scottish Tory leader.
Ross said: “Why did Nicola Sturgeon’s party – the party of government in this parliament – lie to the press and to the public?”
Sturgeon responded: “The SNP remains the only mass membership party in this country. We have by far more members than any other party represented in this chamber. I think I can say with some confidence that the SNP has more members in this chamber combined.”
She later added: "Eight election victories in eight years as First Minister, that’s the verdict that matters to me.”
Listing her government’s achievements, she said: “I could go on and on and on. But I’m not going to because this is my last session of First Minister’s Questions.”
Ross was also shouted down by his opponents before he was reminded of MSPs’ duty to treat others with “respect and courtesy” after he again accused the SNP of lying.
The Presiding Officer said: “We do not use the word ‘lie’ in this chamber.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar claimed there was “not a single Scottish insistution” stronger now than when she took over as First Minister in 2014 and called for an election.
Sturgeon pointed out the creation of new Scottish institutions such as the National Investment Bank and Social Security Scotland and argued institutions, such as universities and the childcare system, were now stronger then when she came to power.
Sarwar hit back, accusing Sturgeon of attempting to “take credit” for the creation of the NHS – and he pointed to record levels of homelessness and poverty – as new statistics showed one in four Scottish children lived in poverty.
The stormy exchanges came during Sturgeon’s last day in parliament as First Minister before the SNP’s next leader is announced on Monday, bringing her eight-year tenure to an end.
