A complaint has been made against a north-east Tory MSP after his office inadvertently sent an e-mail to a constituent branding her a “flipping woman”.
SNP councillor Geva Blackett wrote to Liam Kerr’s office asking him to support a Motor Neurone Disease (MND) charity’s campaign.
But just minutes later she received a reply from Mr Kerr’s chief of staff, Andrew Bowie, describing her as a “flipping woman” who “has it in for” fellow Tory MSP Alexander Burnett.
Mr Bowie apologised to Ms Blackett shortly afterwards.
But an SNP source said: “Though this wasn’t intended for public consumption, it rather underpins the deep disdain the Tories have for their constituents.
“Liam Kerr is already in trouble for using taxpayers’ money to promote the Tories in the north-east.
“But sadly these sorts of blunders from a reckless, right-wing, rabble of Tory MSPs have become all too common.”
Ms Blackett, who represents Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside for the SNP, said in her e-mail to Mr Kerr’s office: “As you know, the Scottish Government is currently exploring how the new Scottish Social Security system should work.
“I am e-mailing you, as my MSP, to ask you to support MND Scotland’s Let’s Get Benefits Right campaign to ensure this new system treats people with MND with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Just 10 minutes later, Mr Bowie sent an e-mail to both Mr Kerr and Ms Blackett saying: “This flipping woman is an SNP councillor who has it in for Alex B (Alexander Burnett)!”
Last night, Ms Blackett said she was amazed by the response.
“I sent it from my private e-mail account as a constituent,” she said.
“There was nothing party political in it at all, I was just asking for his support for the charity’s campaign.”
Aberdeenshire West member Mr Burnett is facing a police investigation into his election expenses.
He was also at the centre of a controversy surrounding a Tory press statement that questioned why former SNP MSP Christian Allard was taking an interest in an Aberdeenshire planning application given he was an “EU citizen”.
Mr Kerr is also facing a separate standards probe after he appeared to use parliamentary resources to send out a post-election letter thanking people for voting Conservative.
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “Mr Bowie has made a full and unreserved apology.”
