The SNP is under growing pressure to drop a council election candidate in Dundee after the Tories joined the Lib Dems and Labour in calling for action over comments branded “religious bigotry”.
Nicola Sturgeon’s party faced renewed questions over its “astonishing” response to our revelations about Siobhan Tolland, who is standing at May’s local elections in the Lochee ward.
She had described on social media how she had shouted abuse at the Pope, telling him he should be arrested for child abuse, while also posting that 9/11 was an “inside job”.
Labour MSP Michael Marra immediately called on the SNP to “urgently reconsider” her candidacy.
But the SNP was heavily criticised after a party source questioned whether Mr Marra condoned historic child abuse within the Catholic church.
Campaign group Call It Out slammed the “anti-Catholic” posts, and urged the party to retract and apologise for its comments in response to Mr Marra.
Scottish Conservative chief whip Stephen Kerr has now piled the pressure on the SNP over the row.
“In a desperate bid to defend their candidate, the SNP appear to be content to overlook religious bigotry. It is astonishing to see them now at war with Call it Out,” he said.
‘They cannot condone this candidate’
“Serious questions must be asked as to why the SNP thought it was appropriate to respond in this way. They cannot condone this candidate who has also shamefully said that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job.
“The residents of Dundee and beyond will be appalled that the SNP have not yet removed her from standing for election.
“They must do so immediately and apologise for their wholly unacceptable initial response when these posts were unearthed.”
Mr Kerr’s comments echo those of former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie.
He said: “Local authorities have a significant role in tackling sectarianism. Frankly it’s hard to see how Catholic voters could trust that they would be properly and fairly represented by someone who travelled down to Edinburgh to yell at the Pope.
“An apology from an unnamed spokesperson is not good enough in the slightest. I’m shocked that the SNP seem determined to bluff this out.
“If the SNP are serious about sending a message that sectarianism cannot be tolerated Siobhan Tolland should be removed as a candidate.
“Dundee deserves a better quality of councillor.”
A Dundee SNP spokesman said: “Ms Tolland has deleted and apologised for these posts from 12 years ago, which she deeply regrets.
“These do not accurately reflect her views and as someone raised as a Catholic herself, she very much regrets offence caused.”
JIM SPENCE: SNP attack on Dundee MSP Michael Marra was dangerous, vile and anti-Catholic