Tories deny discrimination claims

A Conservative candidate who was bidding to become an MSP has accused the party of discrimination over selection snubs.

Dundee-based Nicola Ross, who has cerebral palsy, has gone to the Equality and Human Rights Commission following what she calls “inappropriate questions” from the party about her disability.

The Conservatives deny the accusations and say she was stripped of her membership because she stood against a Tory candidate in a local election.

Ms Ross launched a failed bid to enter Holyrood as the Conservative candidate for Dundee West last year.

She says she was then unfairly rejected to stand in council seats in Dundee in May and so opted to go it alone as an independent.

That led to her expulsion from the party in April and later her removal from the North-East regional list. A Tory source said Ms Ross would now be an MSP if she had not stood against the party in the local election because of vacancies that have since come up.

Rather than holding a by-election, the additional member voting system sees departing regional MSPs simply replaced by the next person on the party’s list.

Ms Ross, who is seeking advice from the EHRC, the equalities watchdog, said

I found people with no experience getting selected over me

she faced “questions about my physical ability to become an elected member” at council level.

“The selection processes were discriminatory in that inappropriate questions were asked and I was expected to answer such questions as ‘how would I manage stairs?’” the 39-year-old said.

“I put myself forward for nearly a dozen council seats and found people with little or no political experience getting selected in preference over me.”

Earlier this week she confronted Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson on Twitter, saying: “I feel let down by you. You promised to reform the party but five years on I still got discriminated against a disability.”

A party spokesman said: “Nicola Ross stood as an independent candidate against a Scottish Conservative and Unionist candidate at the local elections.

“The party followed the proper process to fill the vacancy on the NorthEast regional list and refutes any allegation of discrimination.”

Picture: Kim Cessford. Nicola Ross says she was rejected to stand for council seats in Dundee.