SNP MSP: Jeremy Clarkson should be ‘ashamed’ at mocking Scots town

Gail Ross, the MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, has lashed out at the prominent TV host over his criticism of the fishing port of Invergordon.

During a tour of the scenic North Coast 500 route for Amazon Prime’s The Grand Tour series, Clarkson quipped of Invergordon: “This isn’t exactly like the tourist authority would have you believe, is it?”

He followed up his comment by saying: “You can see why they want to be independent, can’t you?”

The Grand Tour host Jeremy Clarkson. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host later claimed the starting location for the tour had been selected “simply to annoy” The Grand Tour’s main producer.

Clarkson said: “That was the only reason we met on a beach full of oil rigs and then drove through a council estate of hypodermic needles.”

Writing a column in The National newspaper, Ms Ross described Clarkson’s comments as “insensitive” and said the host should be ashamed at the “barely concealed sniggers”.

SNP MSP Gail Ross

She said the comments had been a “crass attempt at humour”.

“At the same time as the wealthy, privileged Clarkson mocked what he described as a ‘council estate full of hypodermic needles’, one [constituent] was wondering where their next meal was coming from because they had just been sanctioned by the DWP,” Ms Ross wrote.

“I should not have to go to the press and stick up for my constituents and defend them as just being normal people trying to make their way in life.

“Jeremy Clarkson and his chums have forged hugely successful careers with their presenting style and humour. Once you turn that into mocking people that have no means of defence, the game’s a bogey. They should be ashamed of themselves.”