A TORY council candidate has been accused of “rampant misogyny” and likened to a “social media troll” over offensive comments he made about female politicians, The National can reveal.
Former teacher Stephen Paxton is standing for the Scottish Conservative in the Cardonald ward for Glasgow City Council in May.
He is facing questions over his suitability as a candidate following Facebook posts seen by The National – which made misogynistic comments about Nicola Sturgeon and Kate Forbes.
READ MORE: Tory Glasgow Langside candidate faces calls to stand down for ‘racist’ post
Paxton repeatedly referred to the First Minister as “the Boy-Queen Mrs Murrell” – in reference to her husband, Peter’s second name, which she did not take when the two married in 2010.
In a Facebook post from 2021, he wrote: “The Boy-Queen Mrs Murrell remains a heroine to Nationalist Socialists.
“This, despite her BRIBING the electorate with FREE this & FREE that. NONE of it is FREE. And, Economically Illiterate policies.”
He also made a comment about Rangers player Alfredo Morelos in 2018, claiming to be sitting next to the Colombian striker on a plane to Gatwick from Glasgow.
In a comment on the post, Paxton wrote: “He No speak Ingleeeezz”.
In another rant, posted to The National’s Facebook wall, he took aim at the Finance Secretary, referring to her as “this unqualified woman”.
Forbes is a chartered accountant and worked for Barclays bank in that role for two years prior to entering politics.
Paxton wrote: “KATE FORBES. This unqualified woman, in her professional field & personally & in terms of managing the Economy of Scotland, appears to be Economically Illiterate.
“She & the Boy-Queen, Mrs Murrell [Sturgeon], refer to the SINGLE MARKET. Major ERROR.”
He disputed the meaning of the term the “single market” saying it did not refer to free trade but rather the free movement of labour and capital. He said this resulted in “more immigration”.
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A spokesperson for the SNP said: “Puerile name-calling and rampant misogyny is what you expect of social media trolls, not individuals standing for elected office.
“The Scottish Tories are really scraping the barrel if Stephen Paxton is any measure of the calibre of their candidates but it's no surprise from a party that offers absolutely nothing positive to people across Scotland.
“Quite frankly, the people of Glasgow deserve so much better than this.”
A spokesperson for the SNP group of councillors in Glasgow said the comments raised questions about the “calibre and character” of Tory candidates, adding: “On May 5, Glaswegians have a choice between the reactionary right-wing Tories and their continuing attacks on the most vulnerable or the SNP with our positive vision for a fairer and more equal city."
The Tories are facing calls to thoroughly probe their candidates' pasts and social media activity after The National exposed a number of hopefuls.
The Scottish Conservatives were approached for comment.
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