SCOTTISH Conservative and Unionist leader Ruth Davidson’s attempts to denigrate the SNP over fisheries policies collapsed into humiliation last night when it was revealed that she posed for electioneering photographs alongside a trawlerman with racist, homophobic and sectarian views.

John William Buchan of Peterhead is a campaigner against independence and the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy, but he is also known as crouchy197 on Twitter.

It was in his fishing capacity – his family own the Atlantic Challenger fishing vessel – that he posed for a photo with Davidson and Scottish Fishermen’s Federation chief executive Bertie Armstrong in an electioneering stunt this week.

Now the stunt has badly backfired. Buchan’s Twitter account shows the picture of himself with Davidson. Below it can be found references to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as “one deluded BITCH!!” and he also called on Prime Minister Theresa May to “F-K the Nationlst Bitch!!.

Last August and September he tweeted that “somebody should take the Nat bitch out” and “somebody take her down please.”

In February when Brendan Cox, widower of the MP Jo Cox murdered by a white supremacist, tweeted to ask for help to mark the anniversary of her death, Buchan tweeted: “You are having a laugh” and in another reference to Brendan Cox tweeted: “For fcuks sake give us a break you socialist liberal wankers!!!”

In January he several times referred to Sturgeon as “Bitch” which is embarrassing for Davidson who has frequently condemned such language used against women.

in February, Buchan tweeted: “Tear the Good Friday agreement up Fcuk this nationalist / republican claptrap.” In March he tweeted a photograph of Martin McGuinness on a Carlsberg advert saying: “Probably the best death in the world” and calling the late former Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland “a murdering scumbag.”

His views on the SNP conference in March were unequivocal. Comparing it to a Nazi rally he tweeted: “That would have put an Nunemburg (sic) rally to shame deluded brain dead idiots without any individual thought process.”

He has tweeted his support for far-right French Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen: “If I was a Frog I know where my cross would go viva le Pen!”

In reply to a tweet by Owen Jones saying “Tim Farron refusing to say whether gay sex is a sin is horribly damaging to young LGBT people struggling with their sexuality,” Buchan tweeted: “Is it not about time that Christians had some rights !! Stop ramming your life styles into their faces.”

Last month after UKIP deputy leader Peter Whittle said ‘we must prioritise Christian refugees,’ Buchan tweeted: “Totally agree let Saudi & Iran take the mosee’s (sic)” – believed to be a reference to Muslims.

In August last year Buchan tweeted: “No Surrender!!! Orange & proud!!”

The involvement of Buchan in Davidson’s election stunt was revealed by the Wings Over Scotland website.

The National carried out further investigation and can reveal that Companies House records show that Buchan is or has been involved with companies with an estimated £16.1 million in assets.

The National asked the Scottish Fishing Federation (SFF) if Buchan is a member, and asked chief executive Bertie Armstrong if he or anyone else in the SFF was aware Buchan holds such views. We also asked if the SFF made the Scottish Conservative Party aware of Buchan’s extremist views on a range of subjects.

We asked the Scottish Tory press office if Ruth Davidson or the party was aware of Buchan’s views and who approved Buchan taking part in the leader’s electioneering. Neither the Scottish Conservatives nor the SFF had replied to our questions as The National went to press.

When The National called Buchan in Peterhead last night the man who answered immediately ended the call.