A SCOTTISH Tory candidate in next year’s Holyrood elections has backtracked after being confronted about claims he thought he “had Covid in February after a visit to China”.

Andrew Polson, who is also the Conservative co-leader of East Dunbartonshire Council (EDC), suggested that his experience with Covid meant that he likely wouldn’t need to take a vaccine when it became available. The Tory candidate for Strathkelvin and Bearsden made the comments on Facebook in a discussion about coronavirus vaccines and Christmas restrictions.

Polson wrote: “I wouldn’t consider taking [the vaccine] until I see the side effects over three or four years (they normally allow 5-10 years to see how they pan out).”

He added: “Given I think I actually had Covid in Feb after a visit to China and also that I don’t like pumping anything I don’t need into my body, do you think someone very healthy like me needs it? And if so, why, given I don’t take or need the flu vaccine.”

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EDC records show that Polson attended council meetings every week in February. His social media shows he attended an international rugby fixture on February 8, met with former Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw on February 11, and had various other engagements throughout the later month.

Scotland’s first confirmed case of coronavirus was found in Tayside on March 1 after the patient had returned from Italy.

When confronted about this “visit to China”, Polson backtracked. He claimed he had been talking about a trip “undertaken at the end of January by the Chief Executive and Provost of East Dunbartonshire Council”.

This China trip took place on January 19-23. EDC Chief Executive Gerry Cornes and Provost Alan Brown visited Beijing, which on January 23 had just 10 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to WHO figures.

Polson was not involved. However, he told The National: “Soon after [the trip] I was unwell for around a week. This was before it was publicly known that Covid was about to engulf the UK and it led me to believe that I may have been suffering from Covid before the symptoms were fully understood, although I cannot be sure.”

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He did not offer an answer as to why this potential Covid case would exempt him from getting the vaccine.

Asked if they were aware of any connection between their official China visit and illnesses among councillors, EDC depute chief executive for education, people and business, Ann Davie, said: “The Provost, as the Civic Head of East Dunbartonshire Council, was invited to China and was accompanied by the Chief Executive. In terms of information in relation to any other councillor, we are not in a position to comment further.”

A Scottish Conservative spokesperson said their party was “investigating the context” of Polson’s comments.