Scottish government minister Jamie Hepburn has resigned after he was accused of physically assaulting the Conservative MSP Douglas Ross.
Ross said the parliament minister grabbed him and swore aggressively as he left the Holyrood chamber on Wednesday.
Hepburn said he put his hand on the former Conservative leader’s shoulder and used some “choice words”.
The resignation came hours after Ross formally complained about the SNP MSP’s conduct in a letter to first minister John Swinney.
In his resignation letter, Hepburn wrote: “Irrespective of whether or not the Ministerial Code has been breached, even if there had been no complaint made, I believe I have not acted in accordance with my own personal code of practice.
“This decision is one that I feel is for the best in these circumstances and the one that for my own part feel is the appropriate course of action.”
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