Ross claims he is attacked by Nat in seagull summit row

FORMER Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has accused a senior SNP minister of physically assaulting and verbally abusing him.

- By David Walker Scottish Politics Reporter

Minister for Parliamentary Business Jamie Hepburn’s career is now in the balance, after he admitted putting his hand on the MSP’s shoulder and using “industrious language”.

Mr Ross has reported the incident to both the parliamentary authorities and parliamentary police and last night urged John Swinney to sack Mr Hepburn.

The pair were involved in a rammy following a heated session

‘He was struggling to control his anger’

at the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday evening.

Mr Ross used parliamentary rules to interrupt a business briefing and demand the SNP’s secretive seagull summit be axed.

He then alleges that the SNP minister grabbed his arm and wouldn’t let go while shouting and swearing in his face.

He aired concerns about the minister’s ability to work with other MSPs and officials due to his short temper, and said he was worried about being in the same chamber as him.

Mr Ross claims other witnesses saw what happened.

Speaking to journalists at Holyrood yesterday, he said: “I was grabbed by Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Parliamentary Business, yesterday afternoon as I left the chamber.

“He then started swearing in my face. I won’t repeat the words but I have made them available to parliamentary authorities.