Ex-labour councillor rebuked over homophobic comment on social media

A former Labour councillor has been publicly rebuked for posting a homophobic comment on social media.

Tom Mcaughtrie – a Scottish Labour councillor in Dumfries and Galloway for more than 30 years before he was suspended by the party in 2016 – used a council-issued mobile phone to publish a post in which he called a local gay rights activist and an Anglican priest she was pictured with “deviants”.

Mr Mcaughtrie, who failed in his bid for re-election last year, declined to attend a hearing of the Standards Commission for Scotland (SCS) but was censured for his “disrespectful behaviour and misuse of council facilities”.

Dr Belle Doyle, who works in the creative industries, told the standards watchdog she felt threatened by the “menacing” comment.

The panel said that had Mr Mcaughtrie still been a councillor, he would have been suspended.

Panel chair Tricia Stewart said: “Those in public life must take steps to ensure their behaviour does not open the door to intimidation and must uphold high ethical standards.”

She added: “The hearing panel considered the language used in the posting was wholly unacceptable and unjustified and understandably the complainer felt threatened by it.”