TWO Tory councillors who were briefly suspended for making racist and sectarian comments online have “served their time”, the party’s former deputy leader has insisted.
MSP Murdo Fraser admitted Robert Davies and Alastair Majury used “totally unacceptable and offensive” language, but said they had now been readmitted to the party as their sins were “historic”.
In 2013, Mr Davies made remarks about black people, cannibalism, spears and loincloths, while a year earlier Mr Majury had joked about child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and used the derogatory term “tarrier” in reference to Catholics.
Both were suspended shortly after they were first elected in May, but were this week allowed back into the Scottish Tories, provoking a storm of complaints from other parties.
The SNP accused Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson of being a “hypocrite”, given her frequent denunciations of homophobic and other forms of abuse online.
She also criticised President Trump for giving succour to racists after the recent protest by Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville that left one woman dead.
The SNP called on Ms Davidson’s continued silence over the pair was “deafening”.
Asked about the case on BBC Radio Scotland, Mr Fraser, whose mid-Scotland and Fife region includes Stirling, defended the Tories’ decision and said all parties had such trolls.
He said: “All political parties have issued with people who’ve been candidates, or even those who’ve been elected, saying unacceptable things on social media.
“In this case these individuals had said things on social media some time in the past, long before they were candidates for election.
“They were immediately suspended by the party when these incidents came to light.
“Where people have done these things historically, long before they were elected, and they’ve come forward and they’ve given apologies, they’ve served a period of suspension, I think at one point of another you’ve got to say, ‘Have you served your time? Is it right you come back, if you can demonstrate your behaviour is going to improve?’”
Mr Fraser also contrasted the Tory suspension with the SNP taking no disciplinary action against councillor Dave Doogan in Perth who referred to Unionist ‘quislings’ in a town hall speech in March for which he later apologised.
Mr Fraser said: “At least the Conservative party will take action where it’s required."
SNP MSP James Dornan said: “Ruth Davidson has been posted missing since this growing scandal from within her party broke.
“She is dodging interview requests, and no wonder – Tory MSP Murdo Fraser’s attempt to defend the indefensible when questioned about this on radio was embarrassing to listen to.
“But sooner or later, she will have to explain her decision to reinstate these two councillors - or people across Scotland will draw the conclusion that bigotry, sectarianism and racism are all more than welcome in Ruth Davidson’s Tory party.
“Her silence on this is deafening – but utterly unacceptable and unsustainable.
“She can’t simply try and sweep this under the rug and move on. These two councillors are wholly unfit for office.
" If Ruth Davidson thinks otherwise, then she must tell us all why. Otherwise, we can only draw our own conclusions.”
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