The Conservative Party is in open civil war today after Jacob Rees-Mogg labelled the Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross a 'lightweight figure'.
Mr Ross yesterday called on Boris Johnson to quit over the Number 10 party row as he said the Prime Minister's position is 'no longer tenable'.
But Mr Rees-Mogg defended the PM and criticised Mr Ross, telling the BBC that the most senior Tory in Scotland is not a 'big figure'.
The comments are likely to worsen a growing divide between the Scottish Tories and their colleagues in London.
The SNP immediately seized on the row as it claimed the Conservative civil war is 'making the case for independence'.
The Conservative Party is in open civil war today after Jacob Rees-Mogg labelled the Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross a 'lightweight figure'
Mr Ross yesterday called on Boris Johnson to quit over the Number 10 party row as he said the Prime Minister's position is 'no longer tenable'
Conservative MSPs at Holyrood are in open revolt against the PM after heaping pressure on him to resign.
Mr Ross, the MP for Moray, said Mr Johnson should quit after he admitted attending a Downing Street party during lockdown.
He told STV News yesterday afternoon: 'I said if the Prime Minister attended this event in Downing Street on May 20, 2020, he could not continue as Prime Minister so, regretfully, I have to say his position is no longer tenable.'
Politico reported that 26 of the 31 Scottish Tory MSPs have now gone on the record to call for Mr Johnson to go while the BBC's Newsnight programme said all 31 believe the PM has to quit.
But Mr Rees-Mogg went on the offensive last night as he told LBC Radio: 'I don't think it is a surprise that Douglas Ross takes this view, he has never been a supporter of the Prime Minister.
'He has constantly made disobliging comments about the Prime Minister. I listen to the Scottish Secretary, to Alister Jack.'
Told that Mr Ross had
