A SCOTTISH Labour candidate has been called out for liking and sharing “dozens and dozens” of “racist, Islamophobic and transphobic” posts on social media.
Wilma Brown, who is running in the Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy constituency where Alba’s Neale Hanvey is MP, has been accused of spreading “conspiracy nonsense” by a resident of the area, Adam le Grice, who has compiled a thread of offensive posts she has liked and retweeted on Twitter/X.
These include posts suggesting First Minister Humza Yousaf once said at Holyrood there were “too many white people in Scotland”.
The out-of-context viral clip – which has been repeatedly spread about by alt-right figures – is taken from a speech about racial injustice Yousaf delivered on June 10, 2020, when he was justice secretary.
READ MORE: SNP: Anas Sarwar 'noticeably quiet' on Labour NHS privatisation plans
The full speech actually involves Yousaf explaining that positions of power in Scotland are predominantly held by white men.
Brown also appears to have shared serious misinformation claiming money sent to Gaza by the Scottish Government was for Hamas.
One post she shared said Yousaf “meets with Hamas and gives them £1/2 million of OUR money. These religious zealots shouldn’t be anywhere near our government.”
Meet Wilma Brown, Labour candidate for the Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy constituency next election. As she is a candidate for my seat, I was interested in her views and background.
— Adam 🏴 (@th0ttysc0tty) April 9, 2024
Turns out, she has a history of liking racist, anti LGBT and conspiracy nonsense, a thread 🧵
Other posts she shared spouted conspiracy theories suggesting Yousaf’s family getting out of Gaza was not “a coincidence”.
Last month, she liked a racist post that told an Indian man who was expressing his love for England and its flag “you will NEVER be an Englishman” and “it is not your flag”.
She has also been found to have liked tweets calling migrants ungrateful and the SNP "Israelophobic" "right from the top”.
Other posts she has shared include ones calling Yousaf the “first minister of Gaza” and Green MSP Ross Greer an “extremist” for speaking at an event that saw activists block the entrance to the Scottish Parliament to prevent arms dealers from attending a reception lauding their industry.
Brown has also been found to have liked posts claiming trans broadcaster India Willoughby “incited trans activists” to “harass” TV judge Robert Rinder as well as tweets suggesting JK Rowling had “slain” the trans movement.
Le Grice has insisted the party must “expel” her and find another candidate.
He said on Twitter/X: “There are dozens and dozens of examples of racist, transphobic, Islamophobic tweets that Wilma has liked and reposted. Is this appropriate for a parliamentary candidate @FifeLabour @ScottishLabour? Do you endorse this candidate?
“The Labour Party need to expel her and get a better candidate who isn’t a horrible bigot like Wilma. I’ll be reporting her to the Labour Party, and I urge you to do the same.”
Brown has additionally liked posts claiming free bus travel for young people in Scotland is “for Neds”.
It comes after Scottish Labour suspended Glasgow councillor Audrey Dempsey, who is at the centre of a storm over her offensive social media posts and her intense focus on “anti-white racism”, which she claims is on the rise.
READ MORE: William Wragg quits Tory party following Westminster 'honeytrap' scam
Dempsey liked a tweet which asked whether the burqa – a full-body gown worn by some Muslim women which leaves only a small slit for the eyes – should be banned.
She also liked a tweet which said that “white lives don’t matter to the political class, media or justice system”, and another which spoke about the “[Black Lives Matter] agenda”.
Brown – a former theatre and anaesthetic nurse – is currently the chair of Unison Scottish health committee and also sits on Unison’s UK health service group working at a UK level in developing policy, terms and conditions for staff and issues relating to devolution in a partnership agreement with NHS employers and government.
She has served as a board member and chair at The Cottage Family Centre in Kirkcaldy and has been involved in the setting up of The Big Hoose Project which repurposes surplus goods to families affected by the cost of living crisis.
Brown and Scottish Labour have been approached for comment.
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