THE UNION is being put in danger by the Scottish Tory "civil war" over Boris Johnson’s partygate fine, Labour’s Jackie Baillie has claimed.
Her comments came as Brian Whittle became the first of the party’s MSP to call for the Prime Minister to stand down.
Speaking on the eve of the Tory local government manifesto launch, he said the law-breaking was allowing the SNP to mask their own failures in government.
That puts him at odds with Douglas Ross, who has been widely mocked by opposition politicians for supporting Mr Johnson’s decision to cling on to power.
The Prime Minister, his wife Carrie Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were given fixed penalty notices on Tuesday for attending a party in Downing Street at the height of the Covid-19 lockdown.
The fines have been paid and Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak have stressed they will continue in their jobs.
At the start of the year, Mr Ross was one of the most senior Tory politicians to call for the Prime Minister to quit over partygate.
However, he has been a firm supporter of Mr Johnson in the weeks following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
“Anything that would destabilise the UK Government at this time would be a bonus to Vladimir Putin,” he told BBC Scotland on Wednesday.
“He is indiscriminately killing innocent people and I will do nothing to support a war criminal like Putin.”
Mr Ross’s predecessor, Ruth Davison, has said she believes the Prime Minister should stand down.
Ms Baillie, the Scottish Labour deputy leader said: “The civil war in the Tory party is getting more serious – with MSPs now breaking ranks with Douglas Ross and calling on the Prime Minister to go.
“With party grandees such as Ruth Davidson and serving MSPs such as Brian Whittle now calling for the Prime Minister to go, it is clear that Douglas Ross has got it wrong and has lost control of his party.
“No right-thinking person who is concerned with the rule of law and the state of the Union can now stand with this Prime Minister and his fair-weather friend Douglas Ross.
“The Scottish Tory party is now collapsing before our very eyes – only Scottish Labour can build the alternative to the SNP and bring Scotland together again.”
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