An SNP by-election candidate has sparked controversy after making derogatory comments about King Charles and a Labour MP on social media, leading to calls for the SNP to withdraw their support for her candidacy. Marie Robertson, who is running in the Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse ward of East Ayrshire Council, referred to King Charles as “inbred” and “intellectually challenged”. She also called a Labour MP a “quisling” in her now-deleted posts. Robertson’s remarks included criticising Northern Ireland as “colonised”, describing the British flag as “the butcher’s apron”, and suggesting SNP MPs had not accomplished anything, advocating for the party to abstain from participating in the “parliament of the coloniser”.
Labour condemned Robertson’s language as “hate speech”, while the Liberal Democrats urged the SNP to distance themselves from the candidate. In response, Robertson acknowledged that her tweets were inappropriate and had been removed. The series of controversial posts dated back to December 2022, where Robertson attacked King Charles by calling him “arrogant” and “overprivileged”. She also made comments regarding Northern Ireland’s status and SNP MPs’ achievements, as well as using derogatory language towards a Labour MP.
Scottish Labour’s Deputy Leader, Jackie Baillie, emphasised that hate speech has no place in politics, advocating for a government focused on serving the people. Scottish Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine echoed the sentiment, stating that personal attacks online are unacceptable, and the SNP should take responsibility and revoke their support for Robertson. Robertson responded by acknowledging the inappropriateness of her removed tweets.
The by-election in the Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse ward is scheduled for November 14, with Robertson facing candidates from Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, and an independent candidate. The election follows the appointment of Lillian Jones as the Labour MP for Kilmarnock and Loudon. The controversial remarks made by the SNP candidate have raised concerns and sparked debates over appropriate conduct in political discourse.