The sudden announcement by Douglas Ross that he is planning to stand in the General Election next month took journalists and no doubt political rivals by surprise this morning.

Mr Ross, who was elected as MP for Moray in 2017 ousting the then SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson, said shortly after he became Scottish Conservative leader in August 2020 that he would not be putting himself forward for Westminster again and instead would be focusing on his role leading the Tories in Holyrood.

His dual role as MP and MSP had been the subject of considerable criticism from his political opponents with his part time job as a football referee also the source of attacks by rivals.

The U turn by Mr Ross comes after former Scotland Office minister David Duguid - who had represented Banff and Buchan since 2017 when he defeated former SNP leader Alex Salmond - announced he had not been selected by the Scottish Tories to stand in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East (a new seat created after boundary changes which takes in parts of both the former Moray and Banff and Buchan seats).

READ MORE: Douglas Ross announces surprise bid to stand at General Election

Mr Duguid has been suffering from ill health, spending several weeks in hospital but had said he was hoping to put himself forward for re-election.

However, sadly for Mr Duguid his party bosses did not agree.

On Thursday, the Scottish Tories management board ruled that he could not proceed as the candidate for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.

Mr Ross's decision to enter the race is a major new twist in the Westminster contest north of the Border which has so far lacked many surprises since the Prime Minister announced the election on a wet day outside Number Ten just over two weeks ago.

READ MORE: Police Scotland under fire over race a year after broadside

The Scottish Conservative leader will no doubt be accused by critics of being a backstabber of a sick colleague and of doing a "Farage" after the former Brexit Party leader announced this week he was to take over the leadership of the Reform Party and stand in Clacton having said days before he would not be standing as he wanted to spend time helping former US president Donald Trump in his bid to return to the White House.

Of course Mr Ross's nomination will have to be approved by party officials but unlike in the case of Mr Duguid, it is safe to say there is no chance of it being blocked.

So why the sudden change of heart less than a month before polling day?

READ MORE: Analysis: SNP fuddle over North Sea is fraught with electoral danger

The Scottish Tory leader threw some light on the U turn in his speech at 9.30am this morning pointing to the area's switch between the SNP and the Conservatives and that the new seat will be a key battleground between the two parties on July 4.

"Going forward, we need a candidate to fight this seat at short notice. Nominations close tomorrow. This is one of many seats we’re defending against the SNP - and one we fully intend to win with the support of local voters," said Mr Ross.

"After boundary changes this new seat includes part of my former Moray constituency, and some of the council ward I was first elected to serve back in 2007.

"This constituency will be very competitive, a hard fought, close contest between the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP. I have decided I need to lead from the front."

The results of the last election confirm just now close the contest in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East is likely to be between the SNP and the Conservatives.

In December 2019 in the previous Banff and Buchan seat, the Tories won with 21,182 votes, while the SNP came second with 17,064 votes (the Liberal Democrats came third with 2,280 votes, and Labour came a fourth with just 1,734 votes).

The SNP's campaign director Stewart Hosie lost no time in condemning Mr Ross change of heart describing the U turn as a "day of shame for the Tories".

He blasted  "three-jobs Douglas Ross" for "taking a seat from David Duguid to keep his third salary at Westminster".

And he added: "The way the Tories have treated Mr Duguid is indefensible. The nasty party just got nastier".

Mr Hosie argued the seat deserved "a dedicated, full time MP and local champion" and that the SNP candidate Seamus Logan would fit the bill just perfectly.

In some ways to many an outsider, the personal prospect for Mr Ross in returning to Westminster would not look to have great appeal.

Many of his party colleagues are standing down - 75 to date including Cabinet minister Michael Gove  - as they face the bleak chances of a heavy defeat and years out of power.

The polls show Labour are on course for a huge victory on polling day suggesting that even if Mr Ross wins the north east seat he would be a backbench MP from an opposition party - a potentially frustrating role after years of being an MP from the governing party with all the weight and influence which comes with that status.

So the announcement that by Mr Ross that he is to stand again is a curious one.

Perhaps he's contemplating the prospect of the Scottish Conservatives coming third at the Holyrood election in 2026, a situation for the ambitious Mr Ross which would have even less appeal than being a backbench MP of an opposition party.

But is it also possible the Scottish Conservative may have had to be persuaded to enter the race? The backroom talks will have been fascinating.

The decision also reflects the perilous state the Tories are in.

A poll for Sky News earlier this week put Labour on 40%, the Tories on 19% and Farage's Reform on 17%.

The survey must have been devastating for the Conservatives even throwing up the possibility that their party could even move into third place if Reform's momentum continues.

And such a scenario would mean a renewed focus by the Tories on every winnable seat - hence Mr Ross's declaration to "lead from the front" in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.

His party needs him, rather desperately indeed.