He is a linesman for the bounty.

Douglas Ross earns around £40,000 as an assistant referee, so this might help explain why he skipped a debate and vote on Universal Credit to run the line at a Champions League football match in Spain.

It helps him get by, supplementing his £75,000 a year MP salary.

Now, I’m sure he cleared it with the Tory whips at Westminster who probably told him it doesn’t matter because we are going to abstain on that vote anyway.

But then the Tory whips are not his boss, the people in his constituency are and he told them something quite different before they elected him.

He told them that his refereeing work would not interfere with doing the job of MP and usually it doesn’t.

Mr Ross has form in this area. When he was a MSP he missed a Parliament Justice Committee meeting to head off to Spain to officiate at a match between Real Madrid and Sporting Lisbon.

While Mr Ross was preparing for the Champions League match this week, ironing his flag or whatever linesmen do before a match, in Westminster there were 90 MPs lining up to speak in the debate on Universal Credit and many more listening.

On the opposition benches they told of the stories their constituents had told them of a six week wait with no money, of having to use foodbanks, of debt, of rent arrears of the sheer desperation of waiting for cash to come through because of the delays this benefit switch has caused.

On the other side he left his Conservative colleagues alone to argue the case for Universal Credit and justify its continued roll-out, that it was working and the mistakes would be learned from and the benefits system improved as a result.

This was an important debate.

This benefit change affects huge numbers of people across the country, some of the most disadvantaged, and poorest people who need help.

People who are sometimes surviving on nothing but the generosity and charity of others as the benefits system lets them down.

Instead of taking part in this, Mr Ross was off topping up his MP salary with another £1400 for running up and down in a straight line, occasionally waving a flag for 90 minutes.

It was a match involving some of the highest paid people on earth who rake in millions every month.

It seems Mr Ross prefers to be in the company of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi than his colleagues debating serious issues.

Perhaps he can’t turn down the opportunity to share the pitch with some of the greatest footballers of all time.

Perhaps he craves the limelight and lives in hope that he can tell his Grandkids one day, I once flagged Ronaldo offside you know.

If he wants to be a referee then he should go and do it as his main job and take a part time job during the week, otherwise give up the midweek European matches.

But sadly, The Westminster Linesman is still on the line.