Douglas Ross, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, has said he will stand down from his position after the election.
Ross announced he would be running to be an MP last week, having previously ruled himself out of doing so. He is also a member of the Scottish parliament (MSP).
In a statement on Monday morning, he said that if he does get elected as an MP, he will stand down as an MSP.
Ross has faced criticism in recent days over his decision to run for the seat vacated by David Duguid, an MP since 2017, who was deemed too ill to stand.
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He also faced calls to explain claims made surrounding his Westminster expenses and whether they had been used to fund travel for his job as a football referee.
Reports in a Sunday newspaper raised concerns about 28 expense claims which appeared to be linked to the work as a sports official.
The statement from Ross reads: “I have served as MP, MSP and leader for over three years now and believed I could continue to do so if re-elected to Westminster, but on reflection, that is not feasible.
“I am committed to fighting and winning the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency. Should I be given the honour to represent the people and communities of this new seat, they should know being their MP would receive my complete focus and attention.
“I will therefore stand down as leader following the election on 4 July, once a successor is elected. Should I win the seat, I will also stand down as an MSP to make way for another Scottish Conservative representative in Holyrood.
“My party has a chance to beat the SNP in key seats up and down Scotland, including in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East. We must now come together and fully focus on doing exactly that.”
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