A controversial ex-Labour councillor has been blasted for “scaremongering” communities after repeating false claims of rising anti-white racist attacks on teachers and pupils in Glasgow.
Audrey Dempsey was slammed by campaigners after the Record uncovered a clip of her on the Craig Houston Talks To podcast in October. During the interview, Dempsey claimed to have evidence of gang fights taking place in Glasgow that “predominantly involved African kids.”
Her claims are, however, unfounded.
Referring to an attack on her daughter at school, Dempsey said: “She started producing these videos from WhatsApp groups and it was these gang fights and it was predominantly African kids. She said they called it a ‘fight club’ and basically, they kind of picked their mark, picked their target and set a day to go and get that target.
“They were doing this once a week, twice a week sometimes. Over the next couple of weeks as word started circulating about what had happened to my wee yin, other people started to come forward.”
Dempsey, who represents the Springburn/Robroyston ward on Glasgow council, was suspended by the Labour party earlier this year after tabling a question on racist attacks in schools.
The question read: “To ask the relevant convener if they [are] aware of the rising racist attacks on white children and teachers in our schools and how do they plan to tackle this?”
Speaking about the question on the podcast, she said: “I couldn’t attend that Labour group meeting that day. I had submitted the question because I had evidence of this escalation of the black/white thing.
“I had put in a question for the director of education to ask how are we going to address the rise in racist attacks on white kids and teachers?
“The business manager told me that the group didn’t want to ask the question and said it wasn’t PC enough and that it was very Tommy Robinson. I said, ‘but it happens, it’s a thing and it’s real’. It’s nothing to do with Tommy Robinson, it’s a real thing and it’s happening. We need to address it.”
Dempsey quit the Labour party in April, claiming that she was the victim of a “vendetta” after facing criticism over her social media activity, which included liking tweets by a far right party. After Labour stepped in to suspend her, she started to like posts on the X platform which complimented the anti-immigration Homeland Party.
These included tweets by Homeland Party chair Kenny Smith, who used to be an organiser for the BNP. She is now listed as an independent councillor.
Last year, Dempsey was given a British Empire Medal for her services to families and vulnerable people in Glasgow as part of Glasgow’s No1 Baby and Family Support Service. Glasgow City Parents Group, a coalition of school parent councils across the city, said it was “deeply concerned” by the elected representative and charity boss’s repeated claims.
Chairperson Leanne McGuire told the Record: “We are deeply concerned by the comments made by a Glasgow councillor on a recent podcast, alleging a rise in attacks by Black children on White children in Glasgow schools. While we are sorry to hear about her daughter’s experience, and we stand firmly against any form of violence in schools, these claims are baseless and appear to be drawn solely from her personal experiences.
“Personal experiences are valid and important to share, but they cannot be used to justify sweeping statements without any corroborating evidence. Such comments, especially from an elected official, have the potential to cause significant harm. In today’s climate, statements like these risk promoting mistruths and fostering discriminatory attitudes, which can negatively impact our communities and our schools.
“We would expect any public figure to approach such sensitive topics with care, ensuring their words are grounded in fact and not liable to create division. It is worth noting that the average parent in Glasgow does not have the privilege of raising personal concerns directly at a full council meeting.
“Our schools are diverse, vibrant places where children of all backgrounds learn together. We must work collectively to address challenges with facts and compassion, rather than rhetoric that risks alienating or stigmatising groups of children.”
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie accused Dempsey of “scaremongering” communities.
The MSP for Glasgow said: “The vast majority of Glaswegians want our city to be a welcoming, diverse and friendly place. This is not the first time that councillor Dempsey has shared views which sound like the worst kind of far right conspiracy theories.
“This type of scaremongering harms our communities, and sows division. People in positions of power have a duty to ensure the safety of all citizens, and sweeping generalisations about marginalised groups can never be accepted.”
Mr Harvie added: “Councillor Dempsey has already been suspended from the Labour party for supporting and holding extremely reactionary views. It’s clear that she has learned nothing from the experience.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesperson for education Willie Rennie MSP added: “These are dangerous and unfounded assumptions. There is no evidence to suggest that there has been a rise in these kinds of incidents.
“All this serves to do is pit communities against each other, deepening the existing racism and hatred suffered by many vulnerable groups. It has no place in our politics or anywhere else in our society.”
When approached by the Record, Dempsey said: “The government must commit to meaningful action to ensure the safety and well-being of all children. In our positions we are all corporate parents after all so leaving our kids open to abuse with no consequence for perpetrators is not good parenting.
“I am currently working with some organisations to bring this reality to the table and address with equality for all kids.“
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: “These claims are not based on any evidence. There is no rise in incidents of this kind in the city.”
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