Minister steps down
A Scottish government minister has resigned after being accused of assaulting and verbally abusing former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross.
Parliamentary business minister Jamie Hepburn confirmed his decision in a letter to First Minister John Swinney, admitting he had “not acted in accordance with my own personal code of practice”.
Admission of misconduct
Mr Hepburn acknowledged his “interaction” with Mr Ross had “fallen well short” of the standards expected. He added there was “no excuse” for his language.
“I hope it is recognised on your part and others that this behaviour was quite out of character on my part,” he wrote.
The allegation
Mr Ross alleged Mr Hepburn had grabbed him firmly on the shoulder before launching into a “foul-mouthed tirade” as they left the Holyrood chamber on Wednesday afternoon.
He described it as a case of being “physically assaulted and verbally abused”.
Ross reacts
Mr Ross said the resignation was “the correct decision” and revealed Mr Hepburn had personally apologised.
“However, this issue should have been settled yesterday when the first minister was made aware of the full facts,” he added.
Escalating confrontation
Detailing the encounter, Mr Ross said: “The minister grabbed me on the shoulder and held on to me all the way out of the chamber.
“At the same time, he was continually swearing at me and getting more and more aggressive. He just wouldn’t give up. He lost his temper in a big way.”
Hepburn’s account
Speaking to journalists, Mr Hepburn admitted he put his hand on Mr Ross’s shoulder and “probably used a few choice words I shouldn’t have”.
“That’s it,” he said.
No CCTV evidence
The Scottish Parliament confirmed there was no CCTV footage of the incident.
Pressure on Swinney
Mr Ross criticised First Minister John Swinney for initially backing Mr Hepburn.
He said nationalists were “determined to ride this out and endorse that behaviour until I called for the situation to be investigated by the Independent Advisers on the Ministerial Code”.
Ministerial career ends abruptly
Mr Hepburn, MSP for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, has held multiple government roles, including minister for independence between 2023 and 2024.
He said remaining in post would have caused “distraction” and stepping down was the best course of action.
