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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Tory MP misses vote to be assistant referee at Champions League game | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Tory MP Douglas Ross is to miss a vote on universal credit to be an assistant referee at a Champions League match. | Tory MP Douglas Ross is to miss a vote on universal credit to be an assistant referee at a Champions League match. |
| Mr Ross will be in Spain on Wednesday for the Barcelona v Olympiakos game as a debate is held at Westminster. | Mr Ross will be in Spain on Wednesday for the Barcelona v Olympiakos game as a debate is held at Westminster. |
| The Moray MP, who has been backed by his party, was not down to speak before the vote on the new benefit. | The Moray MP, who has been backed by his party, was not down to speak before the vote on the new benefit. |
| The former MSP was criticised in November last year for missing a Holyrood committee to run the line in a Champions League match in Portugal. | The former MSP was criticised in November last year for missing a Holyrood committee to run the line in a Champions League match in Portugal. |
| It led to calls for him to stand down from his frontbench role as the party's justice spokesman. | It led to calls for him to stand down from his frontbench role as the party's justice spokesman. |
| Mr Ross later went on to defeat the SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson at the general election earlier this year. | Mr Ross later went on to defeat the SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson at the general election earlier this year. |
| The SNP said the latest decision to miss a parliamentary vote showed "part-time Tory MP Douglas Ross just never learns his lesson". | The SNP said the latest decision to miss a parliamentary vote showed "part-time Tory MP Douglas Ross just never learns his lesson". |
| Stewart Stevenson MSP said: "He is yet again leaving his constituents without a voice in Parliament because he'd rather rub shoulders with famous footballers. | Stewart Stevenson MSP said: "He is yet again leaving his constituents without a voice in Parliament because he'd rather rub shoulders with famous footballers. |
| "This isn't the first time that he's failed to turn up for important meetings, and his constituents will be wondering why he shows no interest in discussing universal credit - which is driving up rent arrears and leaving families penniless. | "This isn't the first time that he's failed to turn up for important meetings, and his constituents will be wondering why he shows no interest in discussing universal credit - which is driving up rent arrears and leaving families penniless. |
| "It's time for two-job Ross to call time on his highly lucrative refereeing career." | "It's time for two-job Ross to call time on his highly lucrative refereeing career." |
| Local cases | Local cases |
| Labour's Shadow Scotland Office Minister, Paul Sweeney, said: "It shows a perverse sense of priorities that Douglas Ross is off working a second job in Barcelona while Parliament debates the huge damage that universal credit is causing in our society tomorrow. | Labour's Shadow Scotland Office Minister, Paul Sweeney, said: "It shows a perverse sense of priorities that Douglas Ross is off working a second job in Barcelona while Parliament debates the huge damage that universal credit is causing in our society tomorrow. |
| "The rollout of universal credit has blighted lives across the country, forcing many to rely on food banks and crisis grants to get by. Yet Mr Ross doesn't even have the decency to turn up to Parliament and explain why he supports putting people through such misery. | "The rollout of universal credit has blighted lives across the country, forcing many to rely on food banks and crisis grants to get by. Yet Mr Ross doesn't even have the decency to turn up to Parliament and explain why he supports putting people through such misery. |
| "This sorry episode will leave Mr Ross's constituents in no doubt as to where his priorities lie and it's not playing the game for them." | "This sorry episode will leave Mr Ross's constituents in no doubt as to where his priorities lie and it's not playing the game for them." |
| A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said Mr Ross had the support of the party and local voters - and insisted there would be many more Scottish Conservative representatives in this debate. | A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said Mr Ross had the support of the party and local voters - and insisted there would be many more Scottish Conservative representatives in this debate. |
| He added: "Douglas has held more than 50 surgeries since becoming an MP and has met personally with David Gauke to discuss local cases which have arisen from those. | He added: "Douglas has held more than 50 surgeries since becoming an MP and has met personally with David Gauke to discuss local cases which have arisen from those. |
| "Despite what the SNP thinks, the people of Moray are right behind Douglas and his refereeing, as they showed decisively when they elected him as their MP just a few months ago." | "Despite what the SNP thinks, the people of Moray are right behind Douglas and his refereeing, as they showed decisively when they elected him as their MP just a few months ago." |