Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has suffered a rare rebellion at Holyrood after one of his MSPs protested over party U-turns on climate change.

North East MSP Maurice Golden voted against the Tories after criticising Rishi Sunak for watering down the UK Government’s Net Zero ambitions.

The former Scottish Tory chief whip described the Prime Minister’s actions as “deeply disappointing” and said he felt “incredibly sad” at voting against his party for the first time.

Mr Sunak last week diluted a series of Green targets, including moving a ban on petrol-only cars from 2030 to 2035, and a nine-year delay to phasing out fossil fuel boilers.

The PM insisted the measures would not affect the UK’s target to produce zero net carbon emissions by 2050, but he was widely criticised for the move, including by many Tories.

On Monday, Mr Golden wrote in a newspaper column that he understood the politics behind it, but it was still “regressive” and would damage the environment, economy and society.

“It drags Net Zero into the territory of culture wars,” he said.

Speaking in a Scottish Government-led debate on the climate emergency this afternoon, Mr Golden said: “Let me start by speaking plainly, I don't agree with the Prime Minister's decision to scale back Net Zero policies. If we are going to succeed in limiting the damage caused by climate change, we must be ambitious. 

“The sort of ambition shown when the UK became the first major economy to set Net Zero in law. Seeing the pathway to that ambition watered down is deeply disappointing. “

Mr Golden also criticised the FIrst Minister and SNP for failing to hit green targets for many years, and for failing to improve recycling and reuse of materials for a circular economy. Earlier gave an interview to ITV Representing Border, in which he said he could not support the Tory party’s amendment for the debate.

The Scottish Government motion condemned the UK Government for an “unforgivable betrayal of current and future generations”.

The Tory amendment would have replaced the criticism with praise for Mr Sunak’s action.

Asked on ITV if he could support his party’s amendment, Mr Golden said: “I won’t, and it’s an unfortunate situation for me because I have supported every amendment and motion of my party, and indeed enforced the rules as chief whip under Ruth Davidson as well.”

Asked how he felt about his first rebellion, he said: “I feel incredibly sad. It’s disappointing.”