The impending General Election is splitting opinion in families across the nation – not least that of Scottish Labour party’s deputy leader Kezia Dugdale, who has been taken to task online by her own father.
The Lothian MSP was appointed deputy to Jim Murphy last year, but her SNP-supporting dad sees no reason to refrain from the occasional dressing down.
English teacher Jeff Dugdale, 67, former deputy head at Elgin High School, became a cult hero to Nationalists at the weekend when he chastised his daughter over a comment she had made on Twitter about the leaked memo row.
After Ms Dugdale tweeted her thoughts on the disputed report of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s meeting with French Ambassador Sylvie Bermann, Mr Dugdale replied: “Check facts before opening mouth, Kezia!”
He also directed his disapproval at Scottish Labour, tweeting: “Shame on you for pouncing on a fairy story about Nicola. ‘You boys are due one hell of a beating’.”
Mr Dugdale has also predicted his daughter’s party will fail to win a single seat this May, and said it has a “work in progress attitude” to the general election.
The former teacher did not want to elaborate on his comments when the Press and Journal contacted him yesterday.
But pro-SNP users of Twitter have rushed to praise him.
Stephanie Phin said: “Jeff Dugdale is a bit of a legend after owning Kezia on Twitter.”
Margaret McNeil agreed: “Jeff Dugdale is a Scottish legend.”
Ms Dugdale, who says she encourages her dad’s political activism, is an Aberdeen University law graduate.
She was first elected in 2011 and two years later was appointed to the post of Scottish Labour’s shadow cabinet secretary for education and lifelong learning.
Her father became a member of the SNP following the referendum, although he had backed the party for 20 years prior to that.
Mr Dugdale retired from teaching in 2008, after 30 years at Elgin High School. He still helps out as a supply teacher and works for a magazine dedicated to stamp collecting.