Ian Blackford calls for Douglas Ross to attend Westminster to 'hold Boris Johnson to account' over partygate scandal

The SNP Westminster group leader has called on the Scottish Conservative leader to hold the Prime Minister to account by attending Westminster vote.

His comment comes as Douglas Ross is to defy an order to be in Westminster on Thursday to block an investigation into claims that Boris Johnson misled parliament over lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street.

Conservative whips have told all MPs to attend and vote against a motion referring Johnson to a formal investigation by the Commons privileges committee for contempt.

Instead of attending Westminster, the Scottish Conservative Leader will be at Holyrood for First Minister’s Questions and campaigning in central Scotland for next month’s local elections.

The SNP Westminster group leader Ian Blackford has called on the Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross to hold Boris Johnson to account by attending Westminster vote.

However, in an interview on Wednesday morning, SNP chief whip Ian Blackford said the Moray MP should attend Westminster to exercise his vote.

Speaking to BBC Good Morning Scotland, Mr Blackford said: “There is a clear case now that the Prime Minister has not just broken the law, he has misled parliament. He knew what the laws were, he knew that there was this culture of partying that he was participating in in Westminster."

Asked whether Douglas Ross should forego his duties in Holyrood to attend Westminster to vote against the Prime Minister, Mr Blackford said: “He has to be answerable to his own electorate.

"Douglas Ross has been all over the place because he seems to think the Prime Minister has got questions to answer but he is not prepared to vote tomorrow to make sure the Prime Minister is held to account.

"Douglas Ross should be there exercising his vote, making sure this man is held to account properly by the privileges committee."

In January, Ross did call for the Prime Minister to resign after he admitted to attending a party at Downing Street while Covid laws prohibited such behaviour.

He has since withdrawn his call for his resignation after he made clear he believed the Prime Minister should stay in power due to his handling of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Ross said: “The United Kingdom has been Ukraine’s strongest ally against Vladimir Putin. Destabilising the UK in the face of Russian aggression, as Keir Starmer wants to do, would be the wrong move.”

On Tuesday during Prime Minister’s Questions, Ross was singled out by the Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer who said the Moray MP has now been “rendered pathetic”.

Mr Johnson told the Commons that it “did not occur to me then, or subsequently” that he had broken the law but he acknowledged it was a mistake.

Mr Blackford said the Prime Minister is a “man of significant intelligence” who knew what he was doing and is “annoyed he has been caught out”.

Johnson will now face this vote on whether he should be investigated over claims he misled the Commons about the parties.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, has granted a request from Starmer and other opposition MPs for a vote on Thursday on whether to refer Johnson to the privileges committee for an inquiry.

This would consider whether Johnson misled the Commons when he said last December in response to questions about parties being held in Downing Street that “all guidance was followed completely”.

Knowingly misleading parliament is an offence that should result in resignation.

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