Nats fear ‘nasty abuse’ by their own supporters damages cause

A CRACKDOWN on cybernats is being planned by the SNP over fears the ‘abuse and nastiness’ by independence supporters could cost their campaign votes, a senior MP has said.

The Nationalists have announced their annual conference will debate a motion that would introduce a ‘code of conduct’ for supporters in an attempt to tackle the vile hate spewed online during and since the 2014 referendum.

The party’s longest-serving MP Pete Wishart said he feared that the ‘abuse and nastiness that came from many on our side cost us countless votes’ in the last independence referendum.

With the SNP agitating for a rerun of the 2014 vote, the MP for Perth and North Perthshire welcomed the news of a possible code of conduct and said those who back the SNP ‘have to campaign with consensus and respect this time’.

But with a range of historic tweets that could be deemed abusive and offensive, questions have been raised over whether Mr Wishart himself could fall foul of the policy.

He tweeted: ‘Pleased we’ll be debating a code of conduct for indy campaigning at conference. We have to campaign with consensus and respect this time.

‘Everybody should be able to sign up to campaign with tolerance and equality.’

Asked if there would be a list of prohibited words, Mr Wishart added: ‘Nothing will be “banned”.

I don’t think that’s even possible anyway.’

Mr Wishart previously condemned fellow Nationalists after being branded an ‘Etonian boot licker’ when he called for indeincluding pendence supporters to be ‘pragmatic’ about the timing of another vote on leaving the UK.

But the former Runrig rocker has form for tweeting controversial statements and images, in 2017 when he shared a mocked-up council election ballot paper on his Twitter account.

He based it on a sketch using the word ‘w***’ from the Chewin’ the Fat comedy show.

After complaining to the STV about a journalist’s political views in 2016, he said: ‘If any other journos want to be intimidated, just let me know. We’re offering a cheap deal in gagging just now.’

The MP also caused outrage in 2009, when he appeared to belittle then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s reading out of the names of 37 soldiers who had been killed in Afghanistan. Scottish Conservative culture spokesman Sharon Dowey said: ‘Pete Wishart has some brass neck in calling for his fellow Nationalists to be respectful and tolerant of opposing views, given his track record.

‘A code of conduct is long overdue but his many puerile barbs directed at those who support the Union have acted as a green light to the most extreme, vitriolic cybernats – the very keyboard warriors he now wants to rein in.

‘The toxic level of online debate is one of many reasons why most Scots are opposed to another divisive referendum.’

‘A code of conduct is long overdue’