‘Racist’ councillor cleared by Labour

A councillor accused of making a racist remark to Anas Sarwar during Scottish Labour’s bitter leadership contest two years ago has been cleared by the party’s disciplinary body.

David Mclachlan, from South Lanarkshire Council, was suspended after he was identified as the councillor who told Mr Sarwar “Scotland wouldn’t vote for a brown Muslim Paki”.

At the time he said he “categorically denied the deeply hurtful allegations”. Yesterday he was cleared by a three-member panel of Labour’s National Constitutional Committee.

He said: “This has been a tremendously difficult time for my family and me and I’m delighted the NCC hearing panel has come to this conclusion. I don’t know if my family and I will ever get over the stress this has brought to all of us.”

Mr Sarwar’s accusation was made after the leadership campaign when he launched his Cross-party Group on Tackling Islamophobia in Holyrood. He did not name the councillor, but party bosses later asked him to provide them with his identity.

Mr Sarwar said: “I have consistently said that this isn’t about one individual. This is about challenging a wider culture and we have made great strides. I’m disappointed with the process and outcome and will have more to say about it.”