Sturgeon gives backing to abusive Twitter troll candidate

Nicola Sturgeon has given her backing to the SNP candidate who until earlier this month was using an anonymous Twitter account to hurl abuse at pro-UK campaigners. The SNP leader came under pressure last week to suspend Neil Hay, the candidate for Edinburgh South, after it became clear he taken on an online pseudonym to mock pensioners and compare No vote supporters to Nazi collaborators.

After a newspaper brought the account to the attention of the SNP, Hay deleted it and apologised – and the party now refuse to carry out any further action despite calls to discipline the potential MP.

When asked about the topic on BBC Radio Scotland this morning, Sturgeon said that Hay’s comments were “wrong” but that “he has learned his lesson” and if she lived in Edinburgh South she would vote for him – suggesting that he will not face any disciplinary action.

Sturgeon said:

“Neil Hay has apologised, he has learned his lesson, I can’t be any firmer than that.”

The SNP leader added:

“I would vote SNP in whatever constituency I lived in but I am not equivocating in the sense that anybody who wants to be part of the political debate has to make sure that they behave in an appropriate way and I will never, ever shy away from saying that.”

While she may not shy away from saying it, she seems to have fallen a long way short of doing anything about it.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Kezia Dugdale says that the failure to act will only serve to encourage well-documented online abuse from SNP supporters. Dugdale said:

“By refusing to sack their candidate Neil Hay, the SNP are giving the nod to online abuse.

“People in Edinburgh South and across Scotland will find it difficult to understand why Nicola Sturgeon doesn’t just show some leadership and get rid of SNP candidate Neil Hay. He isn’t fit to represent the people of Edinburgh South.

“Giving a candidate who describes No voters as traitors and makes an appalling slur on pensioners a little slap on the wrists doesn’t cut it. The message from the SNP is pretty clear – online abuse by their candidates is fine as long as they don’t get caught.”

By contrast, Scottish Labour has come down hard on a candidate who was found to be lying to the party. Last week, Labour’s candidate in Banff and Buchan Sumon Hoque was suspended from the party for not revealing that he was accused of a drink driving offence.