Who are the leaders of Scotland’s political parties?

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross made a surprise announcement on Monday. He plans to leave the role after the UK General Election on 4 July.

Mr Ross has been in post for four years, and been the leader of the opposition at Holyrood since his election as an MSP in 2021.

He previously spent time as an MSP in 2016 after being elected via the list system, and then switched to Westminster when he won the Moray seat in the 2017 general election, unseating the SNP’s Angus Robertson.

He retained his House of Commons seat in the 2019 election, and spent several months as a Scotland Office minister in Boris Johnson’s government – a role he quit in protest over Mr Johnson’s chief of staff Dominic Cummings breaching covid guidelines on his infamous trip to Barnard Castle.

However, Mr Ross soon won the Tory leadership in Scotland after Jackson Carlaw resigned, and he returned to Holyrood in 2021, once again via the list system.

He had originally promised that he would stand down as an MP to focus on Holyrood but reneged on that choice in controversial circumstances, and will be standing for the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat.

Aside from his political career, Mr Ross is also well known for serving as a linesman at Scottish and international fixtures – a role that has brought criticism politically and regular opprobrium from the stands.