Douglas Ross says he can get ‘more done’ during parliamentary recess and reveals he is not watching leadership hustings

Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross has claimed he can get “more done” during parliamentary recess as he revealed he is not watching the leadership hustings.

The Moray MP told Scotland on Sunday he relished more time at home as he expanded on what MPs actually get up to during parliamentary recess.

Mr Ross also praised the lack of travel and being able to work without wearing a suit.

He said: “The best thing about recess, living so far away from Westminster, is you don’t have the travel.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross is relishing recess and being in his constituency.

“I save a significant amount of time not having to go to the airport, central London and back again.

“It’s a lot more time in the constituency and that means we can do a big constituency tour.

“We’ll be going to just shy of 50 villages and towns, where there is a hall or facility to host a meeting and you just make yourself available.

“You get more done because you’re here, you’re with your staff, and I have no staff at Westminster as they’re all in the constituency.”

Asked about the day-to-day of work during recess, Mr Ross explained it was always changing.

He said: “They are very varied, to the level I’ve been dealing with the fact our brown bins didn’t get collected in in the area I live in.

“I got in contact with the council and they got picked up today.”

The Scottish Tories leader explained this also meant doing things spontaneously, even if it meant getting in trouble with his wife.

He said: “Just because you’re here and people stop you, you can get onto things very quickly.

“The perception recess means politicians on holiday is nonsense.

“So Monday our two boys were at nursery, so I promised my wife a day out at the Turriff Show.

“We walked around some of the stalls, walked past a NFU [National Farmers Union] event. They were having a panel and I got roped in.

“My wife ended up sitting in the NFU tent, on what I promised was a day off, for 90 minutes listening to me talking about the pig crisis and the fertiliser costs.

“She’s pretty much promised to never come with me to anything again.”

Mr Ross explained he also relished not having to wear a suit and would almost never wear one when at home.

He said: “Never ever unless I am going to a funeral, I just won’t be in a suit at home.

“I tend to wear jeans and a hoodie, or shorts and a polo shirt.

“It’s a nice period where I don't have to have a heap of shirts ironed and ready to go.

“I think sometimes a suit can be a bit of a barrier, it looks a bit informal and stuffy”.

Mr Ross also revealed while he was following the race for the Tory leadership, as foreign secretary Liz Truss and former chancellor Rishi Sunak vie to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, he was not watching the hustings.

The two leadership contenders will attend a hustings in Perth on August 16.

Mr Ross said: “I am not watching every hustings. We have an important one in Scotland and I want to hear the candidates afresh.

“In terms of getting away from it, you can’t particularly in my position.

“I just hope the contest can be as clean and enlightening, but there have been obviously issues on both sides.”