DOUGLAS Ross has come under attack for his statement on Nicola Sturgeon's resignation.
The criticism of the Scottish Tory leader's comments was made by one of his former frontbench MSP - Adam Tomkins - who said his words lacked class.
Mr Tomkins, a Herald columnist, compared Mr Ross's statement to that of Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, which he described as "classy".
The Glasgow University law professor tweeted: "I’ve just read both Anas Sarwar’s and Douglas Ross’s statements reacting to Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation. One is classy; the other so entirely devoid of class it could be a parody. (If only it were.) Well done Anas Sarwar."
In his statement today Mr Ross said: “Whatever our differences, it is right we recognise that political leadership is always demanding and takes its toll on a person and their family.
"I am glad Nicola Sturgeon has recognised this is the right time to go.
"However, at this time, we cannot ignore that she has presided over a decade of division and decay in Scotland.
“Instead of trying to unite the country in the wake of the 2014 referendum, Nicola Sturgeon refused to accept the result. Her entire tenure as First Minister has been characterised by relentless agitating for another vote on separation – governing in her party’s interests, rather than Scotland’s.
“As a result, Scotland has been in a state of constitutional paralysis ever since – divided and unable to move on from the Groundhog Day of 2014 and its toxic legacy, despite the wish of the majority of Scots to do just that.
“The SNP Government now needs to use this opportunity to focus on the Scottish people’s real priorities, especially the cost-of-living crisis, supporting our NHS and rebuilding our public services.”
Mr Sarwar said: "Nicola Sturgeon has led Scotland through some of the most challenging times in our history. It is right that today we pay tribute to those achievements, particularly during the pandemic.
"Regardless of our differences, she is an able politician who has stood at the forefront of Scottish politics for more than 20 years. On a human level that is worthy of respect and thanks.
"To lead your country for almost a decade is a political achievement that secures her place in history.
"While we have disagreed passionately about what is best for our people, I have never for a moment doubted her passion for Scotland.
"All too often it is easy to forget that those on the frontline of our politics carry a heavy burden - not only for themselves but for their friends and families.
"I - and my entire party - wish her the best in whatever she does next. "But our country, now more than ever, requires a politics focussed on delivering the change Scotland needs - by uniting Scotland and not dividing it.
"It is clear that Scotland needs new ideas and new passion to make our country the best place to grow up and grow old in.
"Labour will aspire to win the confidence of the public - and be the change that Scotland needs."
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel