Labour suspends former Aberdeen councillor Willie Young over cookie tweet

Willie Young lost his seat in 2017

A former Aberdeen Labour councillor has been suspended from the party as it investigates claims he shared a racist tweet.

Willie Young, who lost his seat in 2017, shared an image of a fortune cookie with a coronavirus message written in broken English.

Mr Young, who was later appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Aberdeen, has denied the tweet was racist.

Scottish Labour said it took all complaints of racism seriously.

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The party said it did not comment on individual disciplinary cases, but the BBC understands Mr Young has been suspended.

A Labour statement said: "The Labour Party takes all complaints of racism extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken."

'Tongue-in-cheek'

Mr Young told BBC Scotland that the tweet, shared earlier this month, was not racist.

"It was a dig at the Scottish government's test and trace policy", he said. "I put breaking news, it was tongue-in-cheek.

"I am not a racist, I am mortified people would think I was racist.

"My opinion is it's political - it has been turned into something it is not."

Mr Young serves as a Deputy Lieutenant for the city which means he is one of the Queen's civic representatives in Aberdeen.

He was also the city's former finance convener.