A close colleague of axed SNP minister Gillian Martin has issued a impassioned defence of the “tremendously talented” MSP.
Stewart Stevenson spoke out after Ms Martin was dramatically sacked from her new role as higher education minister on Thursday – just 24 hours after her appointment was announced.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon withdrew the nomination of the Aberdeenshire East MSP at the last minute amid concerns about blog posts she had written 11 years ago.
The online remarks made reference to the tipping practices of black and Jewish people, and used derogatory terms as she mocked a culture where universities attempted to attract students from minorities to secure additional funding and public relations opportunities.
Ms Martin has issued a fresh apology for the posts, some of which had previously emerged during her election campaign in 2016, and said she “deeply regretted” the remarks.
Mr Stevenson, the Banffshire and Buchan Coast SNP MSP, defended his colleague last night, and praised her contribution at Holyrood since her election.
“In all the time I have known Gillian Martin she has been committed to fairness in everything she has done in parliament,” he said.
“The remarks made by Gillian more than a decade ago are clearly not the person she is now.
“I know her hard work over the past two years as an MSP has been widely welcomed including passing a Bill to make the journey to and from school safer for schoolchildren and her work to protect young people online.
“She is a tremendously talented and able parliamentarian.”
However, Aberdeenshire councillor Alison Evison said she was “totally shocked by the views Gillian Martin expressed about transgender students and wheelchair users and others beside”, and “more shocked that she was proposed for ministerial office”.
The Labour councillor added: “Her views may have changed, but her constituents deserve practical evidence of this, not just an apology.”
The row has also sparked questions about Ms Sturgeon’s judgement in making the appointment and the SNP leader said she would “reflect” on the criticism.
She is still to announce who will be put forward as the next higher education minister.
