DOUGLAS Ross has defended the Prime Minister excluding the Scottish Conservatives from membership of his new Union Cabinet Committee.

Boris Johnson has downsized the role of his doomed Union Unit and set up the Union Cabinet Committee – made up of UK Government ministers. The Union Unit will now focus on analysis.

But the Scottish Conservatives, led by Mr Ross, have not been invited to formally take part in the new unit.

But Mr Ross has insisted that he will still be able to have input in the new committee through Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, but stressed he is in charge of the Scottish Tories, not the Prime Minister.

He said: “The Union Cabinet Committee is represented by the Prime Minister, the Chancellor, the Cabinet Office Minister and the secretaries of state for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The key departments within the UK Government are all covered.

“As before when the Union Unit existed and going forward with this new committee, I’ll have regular input though Alister (Jack), through the Prime Minister, through all the secretaries of state.

“Indeed, I’m meeting the Prime Minster on Tuesday next week. He’s keen to make sure the open lines of communication that we’ve had through my leadership, continue.”

READ MORE: Douglas Ross tells Labour candidates to pledge support for the Union

Mr Ross added: “It’s also very separate to what we’re doing here north of the border.

“The Prime Minister understands that I'm leader of the party here in Scotland, I’m taking the challenge to the SNP over the next few weeks. It’s my party, my manifesto, my team that are going to the electorate on May 6.”

Mr Ross admitted that “you can’t hide that there has been troubles” with the Union Unit after its chief, Oliver Lewis, quit after just two weeks in the post – resulting in Mr Johnson shutting the unit down.

READ MORE: Johnson's key union adviser Oliver Lewis quits after a fortnight in role

But he said: “I think the Prime Minster has acted quite decisively to move to this Cabinet committee which has worked well in the Brexit negotiations – it's a similar set-up to the tried and tested method for ensuring throughout government, there’s a central point to all the issues to be articulated, to be discussed.

“I’m sure with the Prime Minster retaining that and with senior members of the Cabinet as committee members, that will work very well going forward.

“It’s quite separate to the campaign we are running up here in Scotland.”

Mr Ross added: “The make-up of this committee is with other UK Government committees.

“This is an extremely high-level committee within government. But I’ll be feeding into that. The Scottish Conservative voice will effectively be heard as I’m sure the leader of the Welsh Conservatives will also have input.

“There’s a wider remit across Whitehall and across the party and I’m perfectly comfortable about how that will work in tandem of what we are doing here as the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party in taking the fight to the election in just a few weeks' time.”