THE SNP has dropped plans to hire a communications expert who appeared to joke about domestic violence on social media.
The party said a job offer to Boab Thomson had been “rescinded” in light of the offensive posts, which including a reference to slapping women.
A party insider described the decision to hire Mr Thomson without checking his social media history as “rank incompetence”.
It is understood responsibility for recruitment lies with the convenor of the SNP’s Holyrood group, the Inverclyde and Greenock MSP Stuart McMillan.
Mr Thomson had been due to start work for the group as a communications officer based at the parliament next month after four years working for Universities Scotland.
However after he announced his new job on Twitter, he locked down his account when other users highlighted previous misogynistic and expletive-laden posts.
I see the new SNP Comms Officer is up to the usual impeccable high standards. pic.twitter.com/zpKABOTC80
— Agent P 🏴 🇬🇧 (@AgentP22) August 16, 2021
In November 2014, a tweet from his @boabyyy account said: “Wish a had a wife so a could take it out on her, slap her about the place and that”.
Another from April 2015 said: “Would actually s*** aa women for some salt and chilli chicken right now”
Another from August 2015, apparently posted to a female friend, said, without asterisks: “‘I’ll kick f*** out ye, but I’ll make love to you afterwards’.
A Facebook post from July 2015 said the phrase “She’s got all the self esteem of a battered housewife” was “Still our favourite saying, and it’s still true”, followed by three laugh emojis.
Cynthia Guthrie, a former SNP office bearer who stood for Alex Salmond’s Alba Party in May, said “the vetting and recruitment standards of @theSNP need urgent review if these tweets are considered acceptable for someone recruited to the post of Comms Officer”.
Mr Thomson told the Herald on Tuesday that he was sorry for the posts, which he said he didn’t remember as they were so long ago.
READ MORE: SNP in row over domestic violence 'jokes'
Vonnie Sandlan, a former President of the National Union of Students Scotland, defended Mr Thomson on Twitter.
She said that while the language was “indefensible”, she had worked alongside Mr Thomson and the tweets did “not reflect the kind, thoughtful man I know”.
She said: "I hope that a lesson that comes from this for all of us, is to make sure that young people are better prepared to understand that posting like an idiot now may mean repenting in years to come.
"But I also hope Boab is given a chance to make amends and apologise for his mistakes."
These tweets do look awful - although many of them appear as though Boab was quoting other people, the language used is indefensible.
— Vonnie Sandlan (@VonnSand) August 17, 2021
But - I have worked with & alongside Boab Thomson for years and these tweets from 6-7 years ago do not reflect the kind, thoughtful man I know. https://t.co/RITeh4Ffwp
An SNP spokesperson said: “The offer of employment from the parliamentary group was rescinded on Wednesday morning in light of the offensive posts.”
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