Labour candidate Andy Brown still on ballot after suspension for ‘questioning Russia role in Salisbury attack’

A candidate suspended by Scottish Labour over alleged social media posts questioning whether Russia was behind the Salisbury attack will remain on the ballot paper on polling day, with the suspension coming too late to select a new candidate.

Andy Brown was until this week the candidate for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East. But a Scottish Labour spokesperson said on Wednesday: “Andy Brown has been administratively suspended from the Labour Party pending investigation.

“We have taken the decision to withdraw support from a parliamentary candidate during a General Election.

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“Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer have changed the Labour Party and said that every candidate and MP would operate to the highest standards. This action shows that they meant it.”

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves told Sky News said it was “absolutely right” he had been suspended.

Brown is reported by regional paper The Press & Journal to have shared a link on social media casting doubt on the Russian state’s involvement in the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergie Skripal and his daughter in the Wiltshire town in 2018. Two members of the public were also poisoned, including one who died.

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The Aberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency is new following boundary changes.

Labour had appeared unlikely to win the seat, with one study suggesting that if the 2019 election had taken place on new boundaries it would have secured just 4.2% of the vote in the seat, versus 48.3% for the Tories and 43.1% for the SNP.

But the Tory candidate Douglas Ross, leader of the party north of the border, may see his chances undermined by rows over his selection and expenses (though he was cleared by a watchdog on the latter), and perhaps his decision to stand down as Tory leader. He has also said he will stand down as an MSP if he wins the seat.

The SNP appears to be throwing a lot at the seat, with leader John Swinney visiting.

A Labour gain was not entirely out of the question though, with UK Polling Report recently suggesting it was “too close to call”:

Meanwhile Electoral Calculus had suggested it is a three-horse race, with the SNP expected to win on 35.8%, the Tories second on 31.1%, and Labour on 27.8%.

LabourList sought to contact Brown, but no contact details were readily available online for him or his agent and his Facebook page has been taken down.

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