A SENIOR Tory councillor has been accused of 'utterly shameful' behaviour after asking if black sweets were 'still allowed'.
Damian Timson, who leads the Conservative group of councillors in West Lothian and is the Chairman of the Scottish Conservative Councillors Association, posted about Black Jacks saying "Presume these are still allowed, not had for ages.... how good are they?!"
He has also liked a tweet describing George Floyd, the black man who died in America while a white police officer knelt on his neck until he stopped breathing, as a "drug abusing armed robber" who was "off his face methamphetamines", encouraging people to "stop making a martyr out of this career criminal".
His Black Jack post comes in the midst of a global movement against racism, and the rise in support for the Black Lives Matter campaign which has seen protests across cities in the UK and abroad.
Social media users were quick to hit out at the councillor's tweet, with SNP MP Hannah Bardell saying it was "utterly shameful".
She said: "There is absolutely no place for this rubbish in our society or community. The council and Conservatives need to deal with him . #BlackLivesMatter"
Ms Bardell, SNP MP for Livingston said she is now preparing to write to the Standards Commission about his post, as well as West Lothian council and the Scottish Conservatives.
One Twitter user replied saying his post had been a "cheap shot that does nothing more than incite racial hatred" while another said: "Black people are getting murdered by cops in America, and this is your response, shameful."
Janet Campbell, leader of the SNP group at West Lothian council said: "I am incredibly disappointed that any elected politician would deem it acceptable to send out this tweet which undermines the progress made towards tackling institutional racism in our society.
"Everyday racism is hiding behind comments like those made so flippantly by Cllr Timson.
"He needs to reflect on this tweet and must apologise for the hurt he has caused.
"In addition the Conservative Party need to take action and at the very least Cllr Timson needs to attend awareness training."
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: "Cllr Timson meant absolutely no offence or racism by this tweet.
“He recognises now that it could have been taken to be in poor taste, and apologises to anyone genuinely offended by the content."
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