THE shocking scale of the Tory party’s problem with its MPs and councillors can be seen in the roll-call of those who have hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Ruth Davidson has been urged to clean up her party, but below, we've listed some of those to hit the headlines.
DOUGLAS ROSS
DOUGLAS Ross MP sparked a furore shortly after winning his Westminster seat when he said that his number one priority, if he were prime minister for a day, would be “tougher enforcement against gypsies and travellers”. He later described gypsy travellers as a “blight on our community” who had to be “dealt with”. It then emerged that he had compared a traveller encampment to a landfill site years earlier while serving as a Moray councillor.
DONALD GATT
DONALD Gatt, a Moray councillor who joined the party after leaving Ukip, declared that low income couples “shouldn’t have kids”, asking: “Why do I have to pay for meals for those who chose to have them?”
ALASTAIR MAJURY AND ROBERT DAVIES
ALASTAIR Majury and Robert Davies were suspended by the party over their online activities. The Stirling councillors were reinstated following diversity training as part of disciplinary action, but Davies has since left the party. He likened black people to cannibals, while Majury, who remains a Tory councillor, dismissed homelessness and food support charities, attacked benefit claimants and made homophobic remarks regarding equal marriage.
IAN JAMES
IAN James, a councillor in Perth and Kinross, called Nicola Sturgeon a “poison dwarf”, described the term “African American” as a “stupid politically correct euphemism” and hailed “political characters” like Enoch Powell.
NEILL GRAHAM
NEILL Graham, who represents Paisley Northeast and Ralston on Renfrewshire Council, appeared in a leaked BNP membership database. He said the mobile number listed was his, but denied membership.
RON MCKAIL
RON McKail, of Aberdeenshire Council, shared posts by Britain First and the EDL, one of which presented the false dichotomy that “homeless servicemen should come before any refugee”.
TODD FERGUSON
TODD Ferguson, Dalry and West Kilbride councillor for North Ayrshire Council, had to apologise to the SNP’s Joy Brahim for comments relating to her Dutch nationality.
KATHLEEN LESLIE
KATHLEEN Leslie, who serves on Fife Council, called Nicola Sturgeon a “drooling hag”. She was struck off the teaching register after admitting her fitness to teach was impaired but remains a Tory representative and has been pictured with Ruth Davidson in campaign photographs.
TREVOR DOUGLAS
TREVOR Douglas of North Lanarkshire Council shared UKIP posts and said Serbia could “go back to selling white kids to slave traders”.
COLIN MCGAVIGAN
COLIN McGavigan, of South Lanarkshire Council, branded carers “the great unwashed”.
EUAN BLOCKLEY
EUAN Blockley, a Glasgow councillor, is a former UKIP candidate who quit after failing to make the top of its regional list for the 2016 Holyrood election.
ALASTAIR REDMAN
ALASTAIR Redman, on Argyll and Bute Council, faced pressure as he stood for Westminster in 2014 after sharing a Facebook post by Britain First, which welcomed news of Abu Hamza being convicted of terror charges in the US.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel