Why is Douglas Ross standing to be an MP?

I wouldn't vote for either of them, given the chance, but I have seen David Duguid engaging with young people and taking them seriously even though they were openly anti-Tory. He was prepared to stand in the new constituency but didn't get the chance. DRoss is not bright, IMO.

David Duguid has said he was perfectly fit to stand in the election. He wasn't informed of concerns and was deselected. Douglas Ross was on the panel of that committee and might even have been chair, although I haven't verified that fact. As far as I'm aware, Mr Duguid has a reasonable majority and was well liked and local.

No, to be fair, DRoss wasn't at the meeting where the decision was made, although he is on the committee. Even if the decision to deselect Mr Duguid was correct, it was done in a very ham-fisted and inconsiderate way, and with a bit of luck will lose the Tories votes. Some of Mr Duguid's local party members have resigned their party memberships over the affair.

To answer your question, he is a very greedy man and a totally ineffective politician. Disregarded and disliked by many people.

He may be ineffective but he's certainly not greedy.

I have voted for Douglas Ross many times, firstly as an independent counsellor, a job at which he was very good, then as an MP, because of his previous record and because I am anti Scottish independence. As for not replying to emails/letters from constituents, he replied to every one I sent him till I told him I would never vote for the Tories again, since then nothing. As far as I am aware he donates all of his MSP salary to charity. On the other side of political coin I have written to my SNP MSP on numerous occasions and have never once received a reply from Richard Lochead. The Duguid situation has been handled very badly indeed and is indicative of the disarray within the Tory party in general. The situation and similar disarray within the SNP has been well documented. I have had reassurances from the local Labour Party that they do not support Scottish independence, I will be voting Labour. And keeping my fingers crossed.

Me too DamaskRose.

Thought he was standing in for someone who is ill and in hospital.

In a word YES! Hedging his bets....🤣

I’m surprised that you have had no replies from Richard Lochhead, DamaskRose. I know several people who have had prompt and courteous replies from him on various subjects.

4allweknow you are correct up to a point. The person who is ill said he was fit to stand but was deselected without any chance to make his case. See earlier posts.

Regardless of who made the decisions, Ross is agreeing to stand for the Westminster seat. He is knowingly giving the opposition a stick to beat him with which is incomprehensible to me as he was making a fair job of it in Holyrood. That's why I question his judgement. If I had been thinking of voting Conservative this would certainly put me off. However, the Labour candidate here is a local chap and I am going to give him my vote this time.

BBC News - Douglas Ross to resign as leader of Scottish Conservatives
www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceddenl8xz4o

Well that tidies up that mess.

I was just about to post that, do you've saved me a job. ☺️ Despite what some say, good riddance to him. He's a nasty individual who has nothing positive to say about anyone.

They should have hung on to Ruth (now Baroness) Davidson instead of “kicking her upstairs” and actually if she had stood for Leader of the whole Tory party they’d have got my vote.

I always liked Ruth Davidson.

Is the seat in question the safest Tory Westminster seat in Scotland? Otherwise he is going to look silly if he doesn’t win and presumably has to go back to being the MSP and possibly not the Tory lead in the Scottish parliament, because presumably somebody else will be appointed into that role now?

Ruth Davidson was a massive asset to the Tories. I'd have voted for her

Ross has resigned today:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceddenl8xz4o

I was surprised when Ruth Davidson resigned for personal reasons. She was really effective in Holyrood.

Well said Grandmabatty couldn't agree more, just wish he would go before the election. I also wish David Duguid would stand as an independent, from what I hear he is well liked and works hard for his constituency.

The trouble is that tactical voting in that seat isn’t that easy. The obvious choice is SNP but they’re not very popular just now. Labour have never done well in the North-East as there are lots of farmers and fishermen who have conservative (small c) views and voted Leave.