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Tories in bias claim after Douglas Ross kicked out of FMQs

Watch the moment Douglas Ross is excluded from the chamber at FMQs

Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has questioned the neutrality of Holyrood's presiding officer after he was ordered to leave the Holyrood chamber.

Ross was ejected from First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament for talking over John Swinney as he was answering a question.

The Scottish Conservatives accused Alison Johnstone of "blatant bias" against them.

Ross told BBC Scotland News that he had "serious questions" about Ms Johnstone's conduct and said she should "seriously consider her neutral role".

He also claimed the presiding officer had allowed SNP and Green MSPs to behave in a way that she did not extend to Conservative .

The Highlands and Islands MSP said that it was "unprecedented" for him to be sent out without a warning.

Ross was told that he would not be allowed back in to Holyrood's debating chamber for the rest of the day.

The presiding officer refused to comment on her decision when approached by journalists as she left the debating chamber.

Outside the chamber, Ross told BBC Scotland News that he would seek to speak to the presiding officer and her officials.

"I have serious questions about the conduct of the presiding officer," he said.

PA Media Douglas Ross walks along a corridor carrying a folderPA Media
Ross was ordered to leave the debating chamber by the Scottish Parliament's Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone

The Scottish Tories said the presiding officer had shown a "consistent pattern to favour certain parties at the expense of others".

A spokesperson added: "We will be seeking discussions to reiterate that the presiding officer should not show blatant bias."

A Scottish Parliament spokesperson said Ms Johnstone has "warned Mr Ross on repeated occasions recently about his behaviour in the chamber".

They said this occurred most recently on May 21, and also on May 8 - when the presiding officer told Mr Ross "If I hear you once more, you will leave this chamber" - and on both April 22 and April 3.

The spokesperson added: "Due to his persistent refusal to respect the rules of parliament, the member was asked to leave the chamber."

Ross is not the first MSP to be temporarily suspended from Holyrood.

Tory colleague Oliver Mundell was ordered out by former presiding officer Ken Macintosh in 2020 for claiming Nicola Sturgeon had lied to parliament over the Alex Salmond inquiry.

In 2015, Labour's James Kelly was booted out by Tricia Marwick in a row about a point of order which she contended wasn't a point of order relating to the UK Trade Union Bill.