The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
SNP members urged not to campaign for Hanvey
Fife candidate axed over alleged anti– Semitic language in social media posts
Nicola Sturgeon has urged SNP members not to campaign for former candidate Neale Hanvey, who has been suspended over alleged anti-Semitic language in social media posts.
Mr Hanvey has been dropped by the party in Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath – won by Labour’s Lesley Laird in 2017 – while an investigation takes place, but he will remain on the ballot paper.
Speaking for the first time about the suspension, Ms Sturgeon called for local SNP supporters to campaign in neighbouring seats, stressing her party “unfortunately” no longer has a candidate contesting the seat.
“My message to SNP members and activists would be to campaign in neighbouring constituencies,” Ms Sturgeon said.
“They’re not too far away from Stephen Gethins in North East Fife, for example, so there’s plenty of good candidates out there to get out and campaign for.”
An investigation into Mr Hanvey’s actions has been launched by the party and, asked what would happen if he won the seat, Ms Sturgeon said: “He’s suspended at the moment, there’s disciplinary action that will flow from that and it would not be appropriate for me to comment while that’s ongoing.”
Ms Sturgeon also addressed speculation Mr Hanvey may have been axed because of his views on trans rights.
She said: “He was suspended because of the anti-Semitic comments he made and that is the long and short of it.”
Mr Hanvey last week apologised “unreservedly” for any offence caused by the social media posts made two years ago.
He said: “I do not in any way consider myself anti-Semitic, although on reflection the language I used was, and this is clearly unacceptable.”
Meanwhile in Dundee, Labour parliamentary candidate Jim Malone said he is treating accusations of antiSemitism with “contempt”.
The Dundee West candidate is facing calls for his expulsion from the Labour Party, after footage of a speech was discovered online in which he drew parallels between the treatment of Palestinians and Nazi concentration camps.
Despite repeated requests for comment, Mr Malone has refused to speak to The Courier about the allegations.
Instead, he released a video on his Facebook page on Sunday in which he criticised the media for reporting concerns by Labour Party members about anti-Semitism.
Flanked by Dundee Labour chairwoman Pauline Rourke and secretary Marion Sporing, he states: “I’d like to thank everyone who has been sending messages of support, members of the opposition, SNP supporters, Liberal Democrat supporters all offering us all the best.
“They’ve read these scurrilous articles and are treating them with the contempt they deserve.”
Ms Rourke has also been criticised for emailing party members accusing the press of trying to “discredit” Mr Malone, despite admitting she has not watched the video.