Douglas Ross says Tories need to look again at PM's position

The Scottish Conservative leader has said the party needs to "look at the position of the prime minister" again in the wake of two by-election defeats.

Douglas Ross said the scale of the defeats sent a strong message to Boris Johnson that must not be ignored.

The Conservatives lost a huge majority in the Devon seat of Tiverton and Honiton to the Lib Dems, while Labour took Wakefield in West Yorkshire.

Mr Johnson has pledged to "keep on going" despite the results.

But he is facing fresh calls to resign less than three weeks since he won a confidence vote of his own MPs by 211 to 148 - with Mr Ross one of those who voted against Mr Johnson.

Former Conservative leader Michael Howard has said the country "would be better off under new leadership".

And party co-chairman Oliver Dowden has resigned, saying "someone must take responsibility" and that "we cannot carry on with business as usual".

Mr Ross told BBC Scotland that Mr Dowden was "absolutely right", adding: "We have to listen to the public and we do need to see change because the public have sent a message not just in these two by elections, but also in the local government elections in Scotland, England and Wales.

"I think it's right that we continually look at the position of the prime minister, look at what it is doing to the party and to the country.

"This is another election event where the public have sent a strong message to the prime minister and to the party that cannot be ignored and must not be ignored."

Mr Ross insisted that the prime minister continuing in his post did not make his own job as Scottish Conservative leader untenable.

He said: "I think it is healthy that we can have debate and disagreement in any political party, but I think it's also important to look at the situation going forward.

"We are a long way away from the next general election. A lot can happen before then, and my focus as leader of the Scottish Conservatives is absolutely on challenging the current SNP government."

Some UK government ministers have continued to publicly back Mr Johnson despite the by-election defeats - but others have stayed silent.

Among those to pledge their support was Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary George Eustice.

Speaking at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, Mr Eustice admitted that the results were "very disappointing" and that "of course the government has got to listen to the message voters have sent us".

When asked about the comments from Mr Ross, he responded: "It is not a new thing for Douglas Ross to say that. I respect his view and the position that he takes but it is not one that I agree with.

"I disagree with him. I actually think Boris Johnson brings a boldness to the role that can help us tackle the challenges the country faces today.

"I don't think now is a good time to have the distraction of a leadership campaign and a leadership election that would run on for many months, leaving the country rudderless when we need clear leadership."

The prime minister is currently in Rwanda attending a Commonwealth heads of government meeting, but has been in touch with senior members of his cabinet.

He has said he understood the disappointment over the results, but said his government "was elected with a historic mandate just over two years ago to unite and level up".

Mr Johnson has faced questions over his leadership since stories emerged of Covid rule-breaking in Downing Street during the pandemic.

The by-elections also came amid concerns over rising costs and a squeeze on wages.

Under current party rules, he cannot face another confidence vote for a year - but there have been calls for the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers to change the rules to allow another vote.

The Liberal Democrats won Tiverton and Honiton, where former MP Neil Parish quit after he was found watching pornography in Parliament, after overturning a Conservative majority of 24,239 - the largest ever to be quashed at a by-election.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the Conservatives were "chaotic" and had "not got the policies for our country".

The Conservatives also suffered a loss in West Yorkshire where Labour secured a 12.7% swing to regain the Wakefield constituency by 4,925 votes.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the election result was "a clear judgment on a Conservative Party that has run out of energy and ideas".

Labour "is back on the side of working people, winning seats where we lost before, and ready for government," he added.

Meanwhile, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described the results as a "monumental, massive, humiliating vote of no confidence" in the prime minister.

She said: "If this is not a wake-up call to the Conservative Party then it will just prove beyond doubt that they don't have the interests of any part of the UK in mind or at heart."