TWO MSPs have “liked” a Scottish Tory attack tweet on comedian Janey Godley which was described as “utterly despicable and lacking in humanity”.
The post refers to Godley’s appearances in a Covid awareness video campaign – which was later scrapped when controversial posts resurfaced from her social media accounts. She has apologised unreservedly for the tweets.
It was recently revealed that the First Minister had approved of using Godley in the campaign, after staff said the comedian was seen as being “on one side of the political debate in Scotland”.
The Conservatives jumped on this news, saying Godley’s appearance represented a “serious error of judgement” from Nicola Sturgeon.
On Twitter on Thursday, the official Scottish Conservatives account wrote: “The First Minister chose to make her nationalist friend the face of a crucial public health campaign despite admitting she was seen as a partisan political figure.
“When will @NicolaSturgeon apologise for this irresponsible decision?”
The post has been heavily criticised, given Godley is currently battling ovarian cancer.
She announced her diagnosis late last year, and since had a successful operation. In recent days the Glasgow comedian has chopped off her long hair ahead of starting chemotherapy.
An SNP source told The National that the Conservatives’ tweet was “utterly despicable and lacking in humanity”, while a number of social media users stuck up for Godley.
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Comedian Geoff Norcott wrote: “Maybe you didn't know, but that person is currently very unwell and she could do without a revival of this story at the moment.”
“The person you are referring to is currently receiving treatment for a serious illness. This tweet is misjudged, ill timed and very unkind,” the SNP’s Ross Colquhoun wrote.
Godley later thanked her supporters for their kind words in the aftermath of the post.
Despite the serious backlash, two Scottish Conservative MSPs have liked the Twitter post. A third, Miles Briggs, had done so too, but unliked it late on Thursday night.
On Friday morning the two Tories who had still “liked” the “despicable” post were Russell Findlay, MSP for the West Scotland region, and Douglas Lumsden, MSP for the North East Scotland region.
The Scottish Conservatives have been contacted for comment.
Lumsden, the former co-leader of Aberdeen City Council, has previously attacked Godley.
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When tweets from around 10 years ago were initially unearthed, he wrote to the organisers of a pantomime she was due to star in questioning their casting choice.
In the letter for Aberdeen Performing Arts, Lumsden said: “I have been contacted by many constituents who do not feel Ms Godley is an appropriate ‘star’ of a family pantomime and will be avoiding the show this year.
“Given these concerns, I would ask what checks Aberdeen Performing Arts made as to her suitability for hiring, and its position on her unacceptable references to the disabled.”
Lumsden added he was “deeply concerned public money could be used to support someone who has made grossly offensive comments about those with disabilities”.
Godley was later dropped from the Beauty and the Beast performance at His Majesty’s Theatre.
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