THE SNP has been urged to explain why its parliamentarians attended an event hosted by a suspended policy adviser.
As revealed by The Herald, Tim Rideout was suspended from the party after making comments on social media suggesting Home Secretary Priti Patel should be "sent back to Uganda".
He was condemned by the SNP and all opposition parties, with the nationalists suspending him when the comments were highlighted by this newspaper.
Mr Rideout subsequently issued an apology about the comments, denying he was racist.
He said he acknowledged the "language I used in a Tweet is far too close to what many people who have experienced racism will have heard far too often in their lifetimes and I realise how that will affect them."
READ MORE: SNP policy adviser Tim Rideout suspended over ‘racist’ Priti Patel comment
However SNP MP Angus MacNeil said he attended an event on Friday April 8 organised by the Scottish Currency Group, which Mr Rideout runs.
It discusses monetary policy and currency in the event of an independent Scotland, but is not affiliated with the SNP officially.
Mr Rideout then posted on social media that the event was one of a "series" due to happen with MPs and MSPs.
We were happy to host the first in a series of meetings for MPs and MSPs. Very positive exchange of views. https://t.co/Xfp6EEgo9F
— Tim Rideout (@RideoutTim) April 10, 2022
The Scottish Tory MSP Pam Gosal said the First Minister must explain why her parliamentarians are continuing to work with Mr Rideout, after she said the party had a "zero tolerance" approach towards racism.
READ MORE: Former SNP policy adviser Tim Rideout issues apology to Priti Patel and denies racism
Ms Gosal said: "This is appalling. Less than a month after supposedly being suspended by the party for his disgusting racist comments about the Home Secretary, the SNP’s currency advisor is brazenly tweeting about hosting a meeting for their MPs and MSPs.
“When I questioned Nicola Sturgeon about Tim Rideout’s dreadful comments at FMQs she assured me there would be zero tolerance of racism within the SNP."
“Yet from this tweet it would appear that his ‘suspension’ was nothing more than a cynical pretence enabling him to retain a key role in the SNP.
“Nicola Sturgeon must urgently come clean on what on earth is going on with Tim Rideout or we can only assume that she has lied.
“It is unforgivable if he has quietly been allowed to continue after his original comments.”
An SNP spokesperson said: "Mr Rideout's group has no association with the SNP."
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