Aberdeen councillor to be investigated over 'New Scot' comment

Kairin van Sweeden said she had used clumsy language

An Aberdeen councillor is to be investigated after describing an opponent as a "New Scot".

The SNP's Kairin van Sweeden made the remark against Labour's Deena Tissera during an Aberdeen City Council meeting on Wednesday.

Ms Tissera, who was born in Sri Lanka, said the comments made were "nothing less than racism".

Ms van Sweeden apologised and referred herself to the ethical standards commissioner over her remarks.

She will step back from her SNP membership while the investigation takes place.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said Ms van Sweeden was right to apologise for the comment which he said was "unacceptable".

Deena Tissera says the remarks describing her as a "New Scot" are "nothing less than racism"

Objections had been raised in the chamber after the remark.

Ms Tissera said: "So I am absolutely hurt by the words that you have said.

"I am a British citizen, I am not a second-class citizen, I am a citizen of this country, and I would like you and anyone in this chamber, to respect people and treat them equally and do not speak like that to anybody to offend them again."

Ms van Sweeden said: "I unreservedly apologise for the clumsy language I used in the chamber and the offence it caused.

"It could not be further from the values I hold."

Ms Tissera had called on councillor van Sweeden to be suspended until her complaint was investigated.

In a letter to Humza Yousaf she said: "The innuendo of her comments were that I had just come off the boat as a new Scot - her words not mine - I am not as Scottish as others and I did not understand Scotland like her and the SNP group, this being despite the SNP council leader being of French descent and myself holding a United Kingdom passport."

An SNP spokesperson said: "Cllr van Sweeden has taken the decision to refer herself to the Standards Commission and requested the SNP national secretary investigate comments she made during yesterday's council meeting, which she immediately and unreservedly apologised for.

"Whilst those processes are under way, she has stepped back from her SNP party membership."

'Unconscious bias'

Councillor Tissera responded by saying: "It is clear that Councillor van Sweeden has taken the decision to step back from the SNP. What is less clear is did she do this of her own accord or was she pushed?

"Her behaviour and language make her unfit to be a councillor and she should resign and allow the public of Seaton and Tillydrone the opportunity to decide for themselves if this is something they support or not."

Mr Yousaf said: "It's unacceptable and the councillor is right to apologise.

"In fact, I also want to apologise to Councillor Tissera who was on the receiving end of that comment.

"There will now be a process around a potential disciplinary. I'll not interfere in that process."

He said the comment was not just "clumsy".

"It speaks to the unconscious bias and discrimination that people hold and we all have to challenge ourselves - we all have it - but we have to challenge ourselves about it," he added.

"But there's just no kind of place for that language. I saw the comments and I was thoroughly disappointed."

The Standards Commission said the procedure for complaints and self-referrals was for the ethical standards commissioner to investigate, and then report the findings to the Standards Commission to decide what further action may be necessary.

Any breach of the codes of conduct could potentially result in a censure, a year's suspension or disqualification for up to five years, it said.