Douglas Ross has told potential leadership rivals to own their anonymous comments against him, or try his role themselves.
The Scottish Conservatives leader acknowledged reports of MPs or MSPs within his party criticising him anonymously.
Speaking on BBC’s Good Morning Scotland, the Moray MP said anyone with their own leadership ambitions should come out of the shadows.
He said: “If anyone else wants to do that they can get up and do the early morning GMS interviews as well.”
He added: “If these anonymous sources want to put their name to it then I’ll happily go and speak to them.”
Though Mr Ross said he has ideas about the origin of the anonymous voices, he did not divulge them.
Instead, he backed himself for owning his own words, adding: “I have never and will never make anonymous comments, if I’ve got something to say I’ll always put my name to it.”
Mr Ross was grilled on the mini-budget u-turn, mortgage rates and tax cuts during the interview.
When asked if he thought he would maintain his place in the party, he said: “I will survive.”
Defending the reported u-turn
Following the UK Government’s mini budget u-turn – where Kwasi Kwarteng reversed his controversial plans to abolish the 45p tax rate for the richest – the Moray MP was criticised for defending the plan then backing its abolishment.
Mr Ross faced similar accusations earlier in the year when he was said to be flip-flopping over Boris Johnson’s lockdown parties scandal.
Presenter Martin Geissler said on Tuesday it was “not even two weeks since [Mr Ross] implored the Scottish Government to scrap that rate of tax as well, saying it would turbo charge the economy”.
In response, Mr Ross said he was referring to the fact 2.4 million Scots would benefit from tax cuts.
“Tax cuts that were announced in the mini budget would benefit, if implemented in Scotland, 2.4 milion taxpayers,” he said.
“If the Scottish Government does nothing, 2.4 million taxpayers in Scotland will pay more in taxation north of the border than south of the border. The element that has changed in the budget affects approximately 20,000 people in Scotland.”
Supporting struggling families
When asked directly whether he agreed whether the chancellor was right to ditch the 45p tax rate, he said: “Yes, there were huge elements of the growth plan that were right, that were appropriate, that were the right course of action but where there was clearly concern the chancellor took that on board. He listened to people and he changed.”
Mr Ross said earlier in the interview: “These are extremely difficult times but we need to get together, to be united and to tackle these issues on behalf of local people, communities and businesses who are really struggling.”
He said the Conservative government “has been able to help” people who are struggling to pay their energy bills, and that focusing on economic growth would ultimately bring in “billions”.
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