THE SCOTTISH Conservative leader has said that if Boris Johnson attended the Downing Street garden party he must resign. 

Speaking this afternoon, Douglas Ross said he was "furious" about the party which took place on May 20, 2020, and urged Mr Johnson to tell the truth to the public.

So far Downing Street and Mr Johnson have stonewalled questions over whether he did attend the drinks reception, organised by his permanent private secretary Martin Reynolds, at the height of the lockdown. 

The government has insisted that an investigation led by senior civil servant Sue Gray will look into this event as well as others held across Whitehall during lockdown, using the probe as a reason not to answer questions on the latest claims.

Mr Ross, MP for Moray, said the inquiry did not mean Mr Johnson could not say whether he attended or not.

He said: "That's what we need to know and there's one person who can tell us for sure, was he at the party and or not, and that's the Prime Minister.

"Right now he needs to be upfront about all this and honest with everyone.

"If the Prime Minister, or anyone, misleads Parliament -  you cannot do that and that is a resigning matter." 

Mr Ross, who is also an MSP, continued: "He is so far refusing to answer what is a very basic question – he was either at the party or he wasn’t at the party.

"The government defence is ‘well let’s wait for Sue Gray’s investigation. Her inquiry would not in any way be undermined were the Prime Minister to come out and tell us right now, was he there or not. That’s what I would expect him to do."

Asked if he would be calling for his resignation, Mr Ross said: " I would not, anyway, support the Prime Minister if he broke the law and attended that party." 

Mr Ross said the public were right to be angry about the event in May 2020, saying: " The anger that we're seeing from people across the country is deserved and understandable.

"And we will remember what it was like, back in the 2020s when people sacrificed so much for this united effort to get on top of the pandemic.

"That's why there is is a real sense of anger and people are furious that at the same time, it seems to people in 10 Downing Street, were enjoying a party and sunshine out the back of No.10 and brought their own booze." 

Mr Ross has faced criticism from opposition parties all day for not commenting on the latest allegations, however he now joins a list of Tory MPs who are raising questions about Mr Johnson's future.

Earlier today Ruth Davidson, a former Scottish Conservative leader, was incredulous at the news of the garden party, and said Mark Reynolds should resign.