An SNP by-election candidate called King Charles “inbred” and “intellectually challenged”.
Marie Robertson, who is standing in the Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse ward of East Ayrshire Council, also called a Labour MP a “quisling” on her now deleted social media account.
The candidate said Northern Ireland is currently “colonised” and referred to the British flag as “the butcher’s apron”. Robertson also suggested SNP MPs had not “achieved” anything and the party should abstain from the “parliament of the coloniser”.
Labour branded Robertson’s language as “hate speech”, while the Lib Dems said the SNP should “withdraw support” for the candidate. When approached by the Record, Robertson said her tweets had been removed because they were “inappropriate”.
On December 1, 2022, Robertson launched an attack on King Charles. She replied to an image of the monarch on X: “Arrogant, inbred, over-privileged, intellectually challenged excuse for a man.”
In response to a post which said “Ulster is British” on March 17 this year, Robertson said: “Ulster is NOT British, just the six counties in the province of Ulster, for the moment, are colonised.”
She replied to a post by SNP MP Pete Wishart at the Tartan Day Parade in New York on April 7: “The butcher’s apron at the start of the parade, are you having a laugh?” Butcher’s apron is a derogatory way of describing the Union Jack.
On July 13 – less than a fortnight after dozens of SNP MPs lost their seats at the general election – Robertson said Westminster was a “parliament of the coloniser”.
She said: “Care to explain, what exactly have those who take their seats in parliament of the coloniser achieved?! Wish the SNP MPs would follow Sinn Fein’s example.”
On September 23 this year, Robertson replied to a post by Chris Murray, Labour MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh. She said “Just stop, ENOUGH, you self-satisfied quisling.”
A quisling is a traitor who collaborates with an enemy force occupying their country.
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s Deputy Leader, said: “Hate speech targeting individuals, whether on social media or otherwise, has no place in our politics.
“Scottish Labour is focused on delivering what Scots have been clear that they want — a government in the service of working people.”
Scottish Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine said: “This language is completely unacceptable from anyone seeking elected office.
“Personal attacks on social media are no less objectionable or potentially damaging than saying them to someone’s face.
“The SNP needs to take responsibility and withdraw support.”
Robertson said: “These tweets were already removed because I recognised they were inappropriate.”
The by-election takes place on November 14. It comes after sitting councillor Lillian Jones was elected as the Labour MP for Kilmarnock and Loudon.
Robertson goes up against Labour’s Jayne Sangster, Tory Allan MacDonald, Lib Dem Lee Manley and independent Stephen McNamara.
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