SCOTLAND’S transport minister has spoken to police after a councillor made an Islamophobic slur against him during a meeting with Scottish Government officials.

Humza Yousaf has called on Labour councillor Jim Dempster to resign after he admitting making the remark.

The Dumfries and Galloway councillor told Transport Scotland officials that you can’t see Mr Yousaf “under his burka”.

Mr Dempster has since been suspended from Labour pending an investigation, and has also requested “diversity training”.

But Mr Yousaf refused to accept his apology, and insisted Scottish Labour had a particular problem with racism that needed to be dealt with.

It comes as Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard is expected to tell an anti-racism rally today that society must be “impatient and angry” to end racism.

He will add: “And that applies inside the Labour Party just as much as in wider society.”

Mr Yousaf said: “It is beginning to look like Richard Leonard has one rule for his pals and another for everyone else as the racist incidents plaguing Scottish Labour continue to unfold.

"I have written to Mr Leonard demanding he takes serious and credible action, and while it is fit and proper that Mr Dempster has been suspended pending an investigation, if he is found guilty of these remarks, which I am certain he is, then he must be permanently expelled from Scottish Labour.”

Mr Yousaf said the practice of sending those who have made offensive remarks on diversity training was “becoming a joke”.

He said Scottish Labour was still refusing to reveal whether shamed MP Hugh Gaffney had already undergone diversity training before his racist outburst, making a mockery of the “so-called punishment”.

Mr Gaffney was widely condemned earlier this year after he made racist and homophobic remarks during a Burns supper, but escaped suspension. He is known to be a close ally of Mr Leonard.

Davie McLachlan, leader of the Labour group at South Lanarkshire Council, was earlier suspended for allegedly telling leadership hopeful Anas Sarwar MSP that "Scotland wouldn't vote for a brown Muslim P**i".

Mr Yousaf added: "Richard Leonard has recently said he has zero tolerance for Islamophobia. Now is the time for deeds not words.

"Jim Dempster should do the honourable thing and resign as a councillor. As elected members we are rightly held up to the highest standards. Using hate speech of any kind in such a deliberate and malicious way is simply not acceptable and makes Mr Dempster's position untenable.

"The fact Mr Dempster was able to make such hate-filled remarks, in a meeting with Government officials and members of the public present shows how emboldened those with Islamophobic views are.

“Islamophobes and racists will never silence me and I will challenge them at every possible opportunity. Collectively, we all have a duty to root out hatred wherever we see it and from whoever espouses it."

Mr Dempster chairs Dumfries and Galloway Council’s planning committee, and is listed as a mason in his register of interests.

The Grand Lodge of Scotland confirmed it was investigating whether Mr Dempster was an active member, adding: “There’s no place within Freemasonry for these kind of comments.”

Mr Dempster had been meeting with two Transport Scotland officials and a local resident to discuss the condition of the A76 when he made the comment.

Last night, Mr Leonard said he had contracted Mr Yousaf to “unreservedly apologised for the hurt and offence caused to him”.

He added: “James Dempster has been suspended. There will now be an inquiry and a due process will be followed.”