“A dram of whisky and a fish supper”: Reward for any sighting of a Scottish Conservative MP

Liberal Democrat Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has today offered “a dram of whisky and a fish supper” to anyone who can track down Scottish Conservative MPs missing in action while distillers and fishermen suffer.

During a key vote on Wednesday evening, Scottish Conservative MPs including Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack, Andrew Bowie, David Duguid and John Lamont voted against a Liberal Democrat proposal to reverse a hike in spirits duty on distillers, while David Mundell and Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross were mysteriously absent.

Meanwhile not one Scottish Conservative MP attended Thursday’s Urgent Question on fishing worker visas, despite the issue affecting fishermen across Scotland.

The Orkney and Shetland MP said:

“This is less “Where’s Wally?” than “Where’s the whole pack of Wallies?”

“Scottish Conservatives love to take election photos by whisky stills or on the quayside. Douglas Ross must have a photo album an inch thick of him swirling drams with Boris Johnson. When it comes to these crunch votes and debates, however, they are nowhere to be found. The Tories jump in front of the camera using local businesses as political props but they are missing in action when it is time to deliver.

“Fishermen, distillers and other businesses will have seen the empty Conservative benches while we challenged ministers on urgent issues this week. They will rightly ask if they are getting value for money from these MIA MPs.

“If anyone can track down Douglas Ross or any other Scottish Tory MP and get them to explain why they are abandoning distillers and fishermen in their time of need then I will gladly buy them a dram of whisky and a fish supper for their trouble. That small investment would be more benefit to local businesses than the parliamentary efforts of the Scottish Conservatives this week.”