DOUGLAS Ross has been warned he will be Scottish Tory leader in “name only” if he does not whip his MPs to vote against a windfall tax extension.
SNP MP Kirsty Blackman said the Moray MP faces being “humiliated” if he is the only Scottish Tory at Westminster to vote against the plans set out in Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s budget.
Hunt announced earlier this month that the levy on oil and gas profits will be extended by a further 12 months to 2029.
Ross condemned the decision and said he will not vote for it when it comes before the House of Commons.
UK energy minister Andrew Bowie, also the MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, also said he was “deeply disappointed” in the plans, but has since clarified he will support the measure.
The SNP are against the Tories' windfall tax, saying the money raised is being spent in the wrong place and criticise Labour's oil and gas tax plans on the same grounds.
Blackman, an Aberdeen North MP, said Ross should force his “spineless” colleagues to join him in rejecting the extension.
The SNP politician said: “Douglas Ross must whip his spineless seven Tory MPs to vote against these damaging plans, which threaten to destroy jobs and investment across Scotland.
READ MORE: Jeremy Hunt snubs Scottish Tory pleas with windfall tax extension in Budget
“Mr Ross has already been humiliated by the Tory Chancellor, who shafted Scotland with this policy. Now it looks like he’ll be humiliated again by his own MPs – making him leader in name only and raising questions over how much longer he can stay in his role, with no influence.
“Voters in Scotland are getting ready to kick the Tories out at the next election – and by voting SNP we can make Scotland Tory-free.
“Unlike Sunak and Starmer, the SNP will always stand up for Scotland’s interests, defend Scottish jobs and demand the best deal for Scottish families.”
Ross's position as leader of the Scottish Conservatives has no procedural importance in the House of Commons and all Tory MPs are accountable to the Chief Whip.
Scottish Conservative energy spokesperson Douglas Lumsden said: “Kirsty Blackman and the SNP are displaying breath-taking hypocrisy masquerading as a friend of Scotland’s oil and gas industry when their own policy is to end North Sea production which would decimate the sector and the 100,000 jobs it supports across Scotland.
“They have a nerve to try and play political games with the industry when Kirsty has herself stated that she is against granting new oil and gas licences, showing a blatant disregard for the livelihoods of her Aberdeen constituents.
“The SNP were also the first party to call for a windfall tax and it’s only a few months since Humza Yousaf was proclaiming the end of the industry in a speech in New York.
“Not only that, but the SNP Government have refused to include any [carbon capture, utilisation and storage] funding in their Scottish Budget and want nothing more than to create grievance and uncertainty over projects like Acorn near Peterhead.
“Their ridiculous take is absolutely absurd and is an insult to people’s intelligence.”
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