SNP candidate Julie McAnulty suspended pending racism probe

The SNP said Julie McAnulty has been placed on "administrative suspension"

STORY UPDATE: In December, 2018, Judge Lord Uist ruled that there had been a "false allegation of racism" against Julie McAnulty which was "extremely serious in nature and caused her great distress". Ms McAnulty was awarded £40,000 in damages. The web story on the ruling can be seen here and the court judgement can be read in full here.

The SNP has banned meetings of a local constituency branch after a councillor and Holyrood candidate was suspended amid a racism investigation.

North Lanarkshire councillor Julie McAnulty, who is sixth is on the party's Central region list, has been accused of using racist language.

A party spokesman said she had been put on "administrative suspension".

The party's national executive has also barred meetings of the Coatbridge and Chryston association until May.

An investigation was launched after a complaint from a party member, published by the Daily Record newspaper, who claimed Ms McAnulty had used racist language during a car journey back from a canvassing session.

'Bad-tempered meeting'

Ms McAnulty is said to have been has been involved in a feud with fellow SNP councillor Imtiaz Majid, with the party shutting down meetings of the Coatbridge branch until after the Holyrood elections following a "bad-tempered" meeting in January.

A party spokesman said no further comment would be made about Ms McAnulty until investigations were concluded.

He said: "Following last month's bad-tempered meeting, the national executive has ruled that there should be no further branch meetings until after the election in May.

"With 12 weeks until polling, the efforts of all members should be on campaigning for our candidate, Fulton MacGregor."

Ms McAnulty is the second SNP councillor to be caught up in a racism investigation in recent weeks, after Craig Melville resigned from his post on Dundee City Council amid a claims he had sent anti-Islamic text messages to a Muslim colleague.