A top Tory has caused outrage for chairing a Scottish parliament committee via video link in the Caribbean at 4am local time.
Former leader of the Scottish Conservatives Douglas Ross appeared at the Holyrood education committee hearing on Wednesday from the Turks and Caicos Islands, 4,000 miles away from the UK, on an official trip with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
MSPs have hit out at the decision to try and attend the meeting to interrogate Jenny Gilruth, the SNP education secretary, Natalie Don-Innes, the children’s minister, and Graeme Dey, the higher and further education minister.
Liberal Democrat member Willie Rennie raised a point of order during the meeting to confront Ross, arguing: “It is wholly inappropriate and unprofessional for Douglas Ross to even attempt to chair the education committee 4,000 miles away in the Caribbean.
“This is especially the case when questioning the three ministers for education on issues such as temporary contracts for teachers, school violence, the University of Dundee, the future of colleges, the Promise, additional support needs and so much more.
“These issues deserve a convener who is in the room rather than attempting to conduct affairs in the middle of the night in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Everyone in education in Scotland deserves better than this.”
The SNP’s George Adam also told the Tory figure at the committee: “I am, for the record, not happy. I find this meeting farcical, the fact that you could even think you could do that online from the other side of the world.”
“You continue with your continued behaviour and quite frankly I think it makes you look small and pathetic,” he added.
Responding afterwards, Ross defended himself saying he was “keen” to take part.
“While I was away from Holyrood on parliamentary business, leading sessions for new and existing MPs on behalf of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, I was still keen to take a full part in the committee session.
“The time difference allowed me to convene this committee session and then fully participate in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association programme.”
“Often MSPs are criticised for being work shy but I don’t think that accusation can be levelled at me given my determination to fully take part in this meeting,” he continued.
“I also note, despite members being informed of my intention to convene the meeting remotely last Friday, no member raised any concerns with me until the meeting began on Wednesday morning.
“I’m very pleased that the session ran so smoothly and all members were able to question the education ministers on a number of crucial topics.”
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