Sturgeon calls out 'fascist' candidate in tense confrontation

Nicola Sturgeon was involved in a tense confrontation with a far-right candidate as she visited a polling station in the south of Glasgow.

The SNP leader was praised on social media for how she handled an approach from a former deputy leader of Britain First.

Jayda Fransen accused Ms Sturgeon of "flooding" the country with immigrants.

Footage posted online showed the first minister call Ms Fransen "a fascist and a racist".

Ms Fransen, who has convictions for religiously aggravated harassment, is an independent candidate in Glasgow Southside, the same constituency as Nicola Sturgeon.

On Thursday evening, a video was widely shared on social media showing Ms Fransen approach Ms Sturgeon in the street.

She said: "What are you sorry for? Mass immigration, Marxism?

"I'm not a fascist. I've been on the ground speaking to locals who say you are an absolute disgrace ..."

Ms Sturgeon said: "We'll see what the locals' view is later on."

Ms Fransen said: "The locals, what the ones you have flooded from other countries?

"The decent people of Scotland don't want it flooded with immigrants."

Ms Sturgeon then told her: "You are a fascist, you are a racist and the southside of Glasgow will reject you."

'We are coming for you'

The first minister then walked away with party members as Ms Fransen pursued her, talking about "mass immigration" and "Marxism".

Ms Fransen later told an SNP supporter who asked her who she was: "I'm not fascist, just a normal, decent unionist patriot. My grandfather fought the Nazis."

In a piece to camera uploaded afterwards by the British Freedom Party, she accused Ms Sturgeon of "running away like a coward", adding: "Of course if you flood a constituency with foreigners and hardline republicans who absolutely hate Britain, hate the Union, they are going to secure their votes.

"The unionist community are no longer unrepresented and we are coming for you."

Jayda Fransen, pictured outside court in 2018, was convicted for comments made in Northern Ireland in 2017

Ms Fransen has previously been pictured outside the constituency office of Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf holding a sign saying "it's okay to be white" and has said she is running against the "SNP commie, Marxists, naughty people".

She has previously been convicted of a number of religiously aggravated crimes, including harassment in both 2016 and 2018 - the latter of which saw her sentenced to 36 weeks in prison.

Although a member of the British Freedom Party, documents from Glasgow City Council show Ms Fransen is running as an independent.

The video was shared by Nicola Sturgeon, who said: "Glasgow Southside is the most diverse and multi-cultural constituency in Scotland - one of the many things that makes it so brilliant. I am confident it will unite today to utterly reject these fascists."

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