A row has broken out after the right-hand man of Scotland’s only Ukip MEP David Coburn accused the SNP of behaving like the Nazis.
Arthur Misty Thackeray claimed Nicola Sturgeon’s party was in danger of “returning to its 1930s fascist roots” since the independence referendum.
The Ukip Scotland chairman condemned the party’s tolerance of so-called cybernats – keyboard warriors who shout down any perceived online criticism of SNP policies – and talk of another referendum.
Mr Thackeray spoke out after the launch of a new independence leaning newspaper, promoted by SNP MSPs, and what he termed “Nuremberg-style rallies” recently led by the first minister in Aberdeen, Inverness and Glasgow.
The speaking tour was sparked by a spike in the SNP’s membership, which has rocketed to more than 90,000 since the referendum.
The events were aimed at motivating people to help the party win as many Westminster seats as possible at the general election in May.
A spokesman for the SNP described Mr Thackeray’s comments as “ludicrous and offensive” and said they had no place in politics.
He claimed the majority of Scots have rejected Ukip’s “intolerant, xenophobic agenda”.
Mr Thackeray, chief-of-staff to Mr Coburn who was elected earlier this year, said: “The Scottish nationalist movement is in danger of returning to it’s 1930’s fascist roots.
“First we had cyber-nats and street thugs trying to intimidate their way to independence, then Ms Sturgeon appearing at Nuremberg style rallies and now this McPravda propaganda sheet.
“Scotland doesn’t need divisive ‘Neverendum’ politics, just everyone to accept the result of a democratic referendum in which the majority of Scots voted to remain forever in the union and said ‘no means no’.
The SNP spokesman said: “These ludicrous and offensive claims have absolutely no place in our politics.
“They won’t disguise the fact that the people of Scotland completely reject Ukip’s intolerant, xenophobic agenda.
“This is why the party has next to no support in Scotland while support for the SNP is reaching record highs.”