Scottish election 2021: Douglas Ross: 'Everybody will understand why Boris Johnson is not campaigning in Scotland'

Douglas Ross has said the Covid-19 pandemic is the reason why Boris Johnson will not be travelling to Scotland to campaign ahead of the Scottish Parliamentary elections in May.

The Scottish Conservative leader had previously said the Prime Minister was not planning on coming to Scotland to help with the campaign.

Mr Ross has previously played down the prospect of Mr Johnson travelling north of the border to campaign for the Scottish Conservatives despite him staging numerous events for local elections in England.

Scottish Conservative party leader Douglas Ross said the pandemic was behind Boris Johnson's no-show during the Holyrood election campaign

On Monday morning, the Prime Minister’s press secretary, Allegra Stratton, said the coronavirus pandemic was making visits “more challenging than they would be otherwise”.

Responding to questions from journalists as to why Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey could make time but not Mr Johnson, Mr Ross blamed the pandemic.

He said: “I do think people understand that the pandemic has introduced many challenges to the election campaign and it is a campaign like no other because of the circumstances we are all living in.

"The Prime Minister and I keep up to date with each other throughout the campaign and the fact that he won’t physically be visiting I think most people understand is because of the very different circumstances we face in this election due to it being fought during a pandemic.

"Ed Davey who has MPs in just double figures and is not running the country is in a slightly different situation from the Prime Minister, as is Keir Starmer as leader of the opposition.

"The Prime Minister is focusing on the UK’s efforts to tackle Covid-19 and the way out of this pandemic.”

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