Bigoted Tory row leads to suspensions and police intervention after online slurs
THE ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR AND EXTREMIST LINKS of some Tory councillors are causing more problems for the party after it emerged it has been forced to suspend two councillors elected just a fortnight ago.
Robert Davies and Alastair Majury were both caught up in the storm of Tory extremism after their online social media posts revealed offensive material.
Both elected to Stirling council, the pair’s comments were highlighted in the Stirling Observer and the Scottish Catholic Observer.
Posts by Davies mocked a flight queue of black people with comments on “loin cloths” and “spears” and posted a comment that the flight attendant would have to advise the passengers not to commit cannibalism.
Alastair Majury used a secret Twitter account, which ‘joked’ that the Catholic Church was against birth control “because they’ll run out of children to molest”. He also used the term “tarrier”, a derogatory term for Catholics.
Read more – Tories silent on growing evidence of anti-Irish and anti-Catholic bigotry inside party
Majury apologised for the remark – which was one of several anti-Catholic or anti-Irish posts by Conservative members or supporters to come to light in the last week.
Tory leader Ruth Davidson also posed with hard-right British nationalist John Buchan last week. Buchan shared a post containing the lines “up to our knees in fenian blood” and “fuck your Pope and Vatican.”
The suspension decision means that two of the Tories nine councillors in Stirling have been suspended in under two weeks since the election.
Read more – Extremist Tory candidates elected to councils across Scotland
A wider theme of Tory abuse and extremism came to light during the Council Elections campaign, which included links to far-right groups, xenophobia, anti-refugee campaigns, and Ukip among the revelations.
Stirling SNP councillor Susan McGill had called on Majury to resign from the council. “This form of bigotry and hatred simply cannot be tolerated and is a complete disgrace that the Tories continue to stand by Councillor Majury,” she said.
A Tory spokesperson said: “Both councillors have been suspended from the party pending an investigation.”
Police Scotland has also confirmed “enquiries” into the two councillors after a complaint was made.
Picture courtesy of Dave Wilson Cumbria
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