A TORY candidate who was criticised over offensive social media posts has triumphed in a council by-election.
Dave Coleman topped the first-preference votes in the contest at Fife Council in the Inverkeithing & Dalgety Bay ward, taking the seat from Labour.
The result means Labour now have no councillor in the area, despite it being the stamping ground of former prime minister Gordon Brown.
Mr Coleman previously came under fire after he made reference to “chavs” and “pikeys” shopping in Lidl and used derogatory language about disabled people on Facebook.
His SNP and Labour rivals branded the remarks “totally unacceptable” and called on Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson to suspend him.
In one Facebook post from April 2010, Mr Coleman wrote that he “doesn’t wear his helmet on the special bus, because it impedes my window licking abilities”.
In another from the same month, he wrote: “Chavs to the left of me, pikeys to the right… Here I am shopping in Lidls (sic) with you.”
Mr Coleman sincerely apologised to anyone upset by his language.
He said: “These were daft comments made as a joke eight years ago and I understand that this isn’t the kind of language expected of a councillor.”
The Fife Council by-election followed the resignation as a councillor of shadow Scottish secretary Lesley Laird, who was elected as Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath MP at last year's general election.
Mr Coleman scooped 2,309 votes, with Labour trailing behind on 1,741 despite its candidate receiving backing from Mr Brown.
Turnout was relatively high at 43.1 per cent.
Scottish Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said the “devastating result” showed Labour are a “busted flush”.
He said: “This was the council seat vacated by the shadow Scottish secretary, and Scottish Labour deputy leader Lesley Laird, but still the Labour vote fell while the Conservatives increased.
“It reinforces the fact that, right across Scotland, it’s a straight fight between the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP.
“Even in Labour’s heartlands, we are the only ones who can stand up to the nationalists and their relentless pursuit of breaking up Britain.
“It also means Gordon Brown has two Conservative councillors to call on now for any local issues he may have, but not a single Labour one.”
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