How Tories' obsession with Neil Gray risks overshadowing very real NHS pressures

The Scottish Tories relish any opportunity to call for the resignation of any SNP minister. Why wouldn’t they?

Under Russell Findlay and his predecessors, the Conservatives are quick to claim that Holyrood spends too much time talking mince and discussing issues the wider public couldn’t give a monkeys about.

But a tired call and a vote for health secretary Neil Gray to quit is exactly what they detest about Holyrood. If Mr Gray had lost the vote, there was nothing binding requiring him to resign.

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Unsurprisingly, the vote fell flat on its face, with 68 MSPs voting against the Tories’ motion. The Lib Dems, who also like to cause mischief for the SNP, voted in favour of the motion. But a source told The Scotsman that it “kinda feels like the Tories have used this trick a bit too often”, adding that “it's losing its impact”.

It is very hard to disagree with SNP MSP George Adam, who bluntly bellowed the wheeze from the Conservatives was “nothing more than political grandstanding”.

The Tories’ Sandesh Gulhane repeated his warning that it was “time for change”, adding “Neil Gray is not the answer” and “not the leader that Scotland’s health service deserves”.

The Conservatives tried to insist it was in fact his handling of the NHS that required Mr Gray’s resignation, but it was clear to see what they were up to.

Despite the ‘limogate’ story, in which Mr Gray took government cars to attend football matches, being a bit embarrassing, the persistent Conservatives have let that episode, which the health secretary has apologised twice over, overshadow the very real pressures in the NHS.

It is hard not to acknowledge the NHS is on its knees. John Swinney has pretty much admitted as such. Scotland is not alone in reviving health services five years after the pandemic - but it is felt by everyone and in plain sight.

But if opposition MSPs want real action to resuscitate the NHS, bringing forward daft votes on binning off the health secretary is arguably not the best way to do it.

Just last week, when the Scottish Government finally admitted the National Care Service (NCS) was toast, they faced calls for Mr Gray and social care minister Maree Todd to quit - essentially being told they should lose their jobs because the Government does not have a majority for its legislation to pass.

That is not to diminish the shambles the NCS has clearly become. But seizing on real problems and issues that are impacting on the public in a big way only shows the Tories are at it.