A SENIOR Labour councillor has offered up an excuse for shouting out "sieg heil" at his SNP opponents – and it's astonishing.
Perhaps deciding too much attention was being placed on the ridiculous antics of Tory councillors, Gerry Convery decided to act.
The Sun has revealed that during a meeting of South Lanarkshire Council's executive committee, Convery shouted "sieg heil" at SNP council leader John Ross.
It came amid a row over a school clothing grant. Ross had rejected an idea from Labour councillor Fiona Dryburgh to use an underspend to top up the grants. And that's when Convery blurted out the Nazi cry.
He disputes the claim he shouted though, telling the paper: "I don’t know where you’re getting the information that I shouted it at the chair.
“I just said the two words, but I never shouted it at anybody.
“But If they want to interpret it as I shouted it at the chair, that’s their problem – not mine.”
So, why even choose these words in the first place?
“Through frustration. My colleague was only trying to get surplus money given to poorer, hard-working families as clothing grants.
“And the chair basically attacked her from the chair, and sitting next to her I shouted 'sieg heil’.
“And I immediately retracted it, of course. It’s no way to conduct yourself, obviously. But it’s the frustration with the SNP.”
But wait. It gets more bizarre. Does he think the SNP were acting like Nazis?
“No, I never mentioned the word. I never said any word like that.
“It was just two words I said. People say things in the height of frustration. There was no content, no thought behind it. It just came out.”
Yes... his reasoning behind saying "sieg heil" was that "it just came out". Of course, who hasn't shouted sieg heil when moderately frustrated by something?
His opponents are now calling for action to be taken.
SNP councillor Katy Loudon said: “Councillor Convery should apologise, and Labour should consider appropriate disciplinary action against him.”
Maybe they could fit him into one of the diversity training classes, if they aren't all full?
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