Douglas Ross has announced he will step down as leader of the Scottish Conservatives after the July 4 election.
It comes following criticism over the deselection of David Duguid as a general election candidate, as well as amid reports that Ross used Westminster’s expenses to travel in her role as a football linesman.
Ross intends to continue his general election campaign as he seeks to win the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seats.
In a statement released on Monday, he announced that he will also resign as MSP if he is re-elected to Westminster.
Ross said: “I have served as an MP, MSP and leader for over three years and I believed I could continue to do so if re-elected to Westminster, but in hindsight, that is not viable.
“I am committed to fighting and winning for the North Aberdeenshire and East Moray electorate. If I had the honor of representing the people and communities of this new seat, they should know that being their deputy would receive my full focus and attention.
“Therefore, I will step down as leader after the July 4 elections, once a successor is elected. If I win the seat, I will also step down as MSP to make way for another Scottish Conservative representative at Holyrood.
“My party has the opportunity to defeat the SNP in key seats across Scotland, including in North Aberdeenshire and East Moray. We must now unite and focus fully on doing just that.”
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