Douglas Ross questions Holyrood neutrality after FMQs ejection

Former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has questioned the neutrality of Holyrood’s presiding officer after he was ordered to leave the Holyrood chamber.

Ross was ejected from First Minister’s Questions at the Scottish Parliament for talking over John Swinney as he was answering a question.

Ross told BBC Scotland News that he had “serious questions” about Alison Johnstone’s conduct and said she should “seriously consider her neutral role”.

He also claimed the presiding officer had allowed SNP and Green MSPs to behave in a way that she did not extend to Conservative members.

The Highlands and Island MSP said that it was “unprecedented” for him to be sent out without a warning.

Ross was told that he would not be allowed back in to Holyrood’s debating chamber for the rest of the day.

Outside the debating chamber, Ross told BBC Scotland News that he would seek to speak to the presiding officer and her officials.

“I have serious questions about the conduct of the presiding officer,” he said.

Ross has had a number of clashes with the presiding officer over recent weeks.

He is not the first MSP to be temporarily suspended from Holyrood.

Tory colleague Oliver Mundell was ordered out by former presiding officer Ken Macintosh in 2020 for claiming Nicola Sturgeon had lied to parliament over the Alex Salmond inquiry.

In 2015, Labour’s James Kelly was booted out by Tricia Marwick in a row about a point of order which she contended wasn’t a point of order relating to the UK Trade Union Bill.

The Scottish Parliament has been contacted for comment.