Downing Street Christmas party: Boris Johnson must resign if he misled MPs, says Douglas Ross
Douglas Ross said there were "serious questions" to answer and the evidence suggests a party of some kind did take place, which was against the Covid rules.
Former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson insisted the scandal was not âremotely defensibleâ, while Jackson Carlaw, her successor as leader, echoed Mr Rossâs call.
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Hide AdMr Ross said he was angry at the way the issue had been handled and the public deserved answers.
However, he insisted he still had confidence in the Prime Minister.
It comes after Mr Johnson ordered an investigation into claims Downing Street staff broke lockdown rules by holding a Christmas party last year.
He told MPs he was âfuriousâ about footage apparently showing aides joking about it.
The Prime Minister apologised âunreservedlyâ for the offence caused by the footage of his then-spokeswoman Allegra Stratton at a mock press conference.
But he said he had been repeatedly assured âthere was no party and that no Covid rules were brokenâ.
Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson said he had asked Cabinet Secretary Simon Case âto establish all the facts and to report back as soon as possible â and it goes without saying that if those rules were broken then there will be disciplinary action for all those involvedâ.
Mr Ross told the BBC: "If the Prime Minister knew about this party last December, knew about this party last week, and was still denying it, then that is the most serious allegation.
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Hide Ad"There is absolutely no way you can mislead Parliament and think you would be able to get off with that."
He added: âMisleading Parliament in that way is completely unacceptable and no one should continue in their post if they mislead Parliament in that way.â
Speaking to STV, the Scottish Tory leader said: "Clearly what we have seen over the last 12 hours or so with the video footage emerging, there are serious questions that need to be answered.
"Now looking at what I have seen, there was a party of sorts.
"I donât think you can get away from that, and therefore questions have to be answered on why that was allowed as it was absolutely against the guidance this time last year."
He added: "That's why I think there are serious questions to be answered around what happened this time last year and what has happened in the last week to ten days as the Prime Minister has been answering questions in the House of Commons."
Mr Ross said everyone had made sacrifices last year.
He said: "People didnât meet in the same way at Christmastime, they didnât see their families as they would normally expect.
"They followed the guidance to the letter, in what was a united effort to get through this pandemic.
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Hide Ad"If the people within Downing Street didnât follow their own advice, then the appropriate action and strong action must be taken."
Mr Ross added: "I have confidence in the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, but he and his Government have serious questions to answer on this issue."
He told Sky News the affair had âundoubtedlyâ damaged the Conservative Party.
The Scottish Tories leader said: âBut more important for me than that â itâs not the political ramifications, Iâll deal with that or do whatever I have to do as the leader of the Scottish Conservatives.
âWhat angers me more is the families that had to sacrifice so much at the same time 12 months ago people thought it was OK to have a jolly in Downing Street.â
Ms Davidson tweeted: "None of this is remotely defensible.
"Not having busy, boozy not-parties while others were sticking to the rules, unable to visit ill or dying loved ones.
"Nor flat-out denying things that are easily provable. Not taking the public for fools.
"And today's 'we'll investigate what we've spent a week saying didn't happen and discipline staff for rules we continue to say weren't broken' was pathetic.