Douglas Ross had a “stand-up row” with the Prime Minister over Jeremy Hunt’s plan to extend the windfall tax, according to reports. 

There was a "heated" discussion between the two men at a pre-budget drinks reception for Tory MPs in Westminster.

The Telegraph says that the Scottish party leader told Rishi Sunak that it would hammer the Tory vote north of the border.

READ MORE: Oil and gas industry being 'taxed to death'

Mr Ross then sought out the Chancellor and made a last-ditch plea to him to drop the measure from today's Budget.

However, it reportedly fell on deaf ears. 

So anxious was No 10 about Mr Ross that they worried he might quit. 

The paper says Simon Hart, the Chief Whip and Alistair Jack, the Scottish Secretary were mobilised to "talk him down."

At the meeting, Mr Ross said he would keep a lid on his anger but warned he would be publicly criticising the decision afterwards.

What makes any windfall tax extension even more awkward for the Scottish Tories is that they are using their opposition day in Holyrood for a debate on "Backing Scotland’s Oil and Gas Sector."

The motion "condemns" the Labour Party’s proposed extended windfall tax, pointing out that OEUK has warned it will lead to 42,000 job losses and £26 billion of economic value being wiped out.

Mr Sunak first announced the windfall tax - set at 65% - back in May 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to a surge in wholesale and retail energy prices.

He always insisted it would be temporary and was due to end next year.

However, after Liz Truss’s mini-budget crashed the economy, Mr Hunt increased the rate to 75% and extended it for a further two years to 31 March 2028.

Last month, Labour announced plans for a “proper” windfall tax, saying they would raise the rate to 78% and keep it in place until 2029.

That led to them being branded “traitors” by the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

READ MORE: Budget: Jeremy Hunt to cut National Insurance by 2p

In his speech to the Scottish Tory conference over the weekend, Mr Ross described Aberdeen as “Scotland’s most important city.”

He claimed its future was “being put at risk by an anti-Aberdeen, anti-North East alliance – a partnership between Labour and the SNP determined to close down Scotland’s oil and gas sector.”

The party leader also warned that extending the windfall tax would be “an unacceptable blow” to the industry and workers.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the whole thing was "excruciatingly embarrassing for Douglas Ross."

"Underscores just how outside the Number 10 tent he is," he tweeted.