A ‘missing’ poster has been issued for Douglas Ross over his absence from the debate over the cost of living crisis.
The Scottish Tory leader has been accused of a “cowardly silence” over the issue which has dominated politics all summer while his party chooses a new leader.
With energy bills are set to rise to £3,549 by October, Ross is being confronted over what solutions he backs to rein in the crisis facing consumers. Scottish Lib Dems issued a missing poster featuring a mugshot of the Moray MP on Friday appealing for any information on the whereabouts of Ross
Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, called on Ross to break his silence and urge his UK Government colleagues to set out plans for tackling the cost-of-living crisis.
Cole-Hamilton said: “Has anyone seen this man? That’s the question we’re all asking ourselves when it comes to Douglas Ross these days.
“The cost-of-living emergency has dealt household incomes the worst blow since the end of the Second World War, but the leader of Scotland’s opposition party is nowhere to be seen.
“He isn’t urging his Conservative Government colleagues to support struggling families; he isn’t challenging Nicola Sturgeon’s refusal to go further on insulation or travel costs.
“Unlike the Conservatives or the SNP, Scottish Liberal Democrats have a clear and decisive plan to help struggling families all across Scotland. We would scrap October’s energy price cap hike and introduce an emergency nationwide insulation programme to bring down bills.
"Douglas Ross needs to come out from hiding and break his cowardly silence.”
Ross was last seen publicly when he attended a whisky tasting with Liz Truss before the Conservative party hustings in Perth.
Speaking at the hustings, Truss made it clear that she will not offer short-term support to help people with energy bills though she has since changed tack.
Ross has refused to say whether he will support Sunak or Truss in the Conservative leadership race. However, the majority of Conservative MSPs have said that they will back Liz Truss.
A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: “This is desperate, attention-seeking stunt from the Lib Dems.
“Douglas welcomes the billions of pounds worth of support the UK Government has so far provided to Scots struggling with the global cost-of-living crisis and looks forward to hearing the new Prime Minister’s plans to provide further assistance.”
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