Craig Patterson was due to start working with Ross next week but, after his background as a special adviser to former Scottish Labor leader Jim Murphy was reported by The Times Scotland on Tuesday, questions quickly arose as most of those they had worked on this leadership The group had trouble remembering his name. Those doubts were confirmed by Murphy himself, who tweeted the Times report, adding: “This story caught my attention. I have never met this guy, let alone employed him in any capacity, ever. A strange fantasy from the Scottish Tories.” The Guardian understands the job offer was withdrawn after the allegations were put to Paterson repeatedly throughout the day. A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “We will no longer employ this person as new information has come to light.” The Guardian attempted to contact Paterson for comment but was unsuccessful. Paterson’s bio for a role as Hybrid Classroom Communications Officer at the University of Edinburgh claims that “Craig has over 15 years’ experience in communication and engagement. He began his career in the fast-paced world of UK politics before making the transition to civil service in Scotland.” Political opponents expressed their dismay at the mistake on social media. Blair MacDougall, who previously worked as director of strategy for Murphy, wrote: “Today I spoke or texted everyone who has worked for Jim for the last 25 years and nobody knows this guy – including members of staff who claim to have worked in parallel every day. That Douglas Ross could have accepted such an easily verifiable lie is extraordinary.” The shake-up comes as Ross struggles to reorganize his team following a series of high-profile departures, including David Bateman, communications director, and Harley Lothian, head of digital, who will leave to set up their own digital communications company next year month and its head. of staff, former Australian political adviser Jon Novakovic. Ross has also lost his education secretary, Oliver Mundell, who quit the shadow cabinet earlier this month for personal reasons and has just been replaced by leader Stephen Kerr. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The Scottish Conservatives bore the brunt of public anger over Partygate last May, sinking to their worst polling result in a decade in local elections and Scottish Labor beating them into second place. During her leadership campaign, Liz Truss caused concern among Tories north of the border with her aggressive stance on Nicola Sturgeon and the constitution, suggesting she favors the “muscular unionist” approach that many around Johnson advocated when took office for the first time. But her allies suggested she would retain the more conciliatory approach championed by Michael Gove, with an emphasis on promoting the union through direct investment.
