THE Tories are “scraping the barrel” with council candidates after Douglas Ross was pictured with a notorious Twitter troll who called Nicola Sturgeon a “drooling hag”.
The leader of the Scottish Conservatives was pictured on Tuesday morning campaigning with Kathleen Leslie in Fife.
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Leslie (below) represents Burntisland, Kinghorn and Western Kirkcaldy on Fife Council for the Tories.
She was at the centre of controversy after it was revealed she had sent "revolting" abuse to the First Minister in the run-up to the 2014 independence referendum.
Tagging the then-deputy first minister in rants from 2013, Leslie tweeted: “Wee Jimmy Krankie is a drooling hag.”
Sturgeon was also referred to as a “horror show” with a “grim face”.
Ross was joined by Leslie while campaigning for candidate Peter Gulline.
Pictured beside a smiling Leslie, Ross wrote: “Lovely morning out with the team in Fife spreading the [Scottish Tories’] message ahead of May's local elections.”
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The former history teacher at Woodmill High in Dunfermline accepted a strike off the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s register in 2017 after an investigation by the watchdog.
The Euromillions-winning Weir family who donated £4.5 million to the SNP were also targeted by Leslie.
She described the couple – who also donated £3.5m to Yes Scotland – as “uneducated fat f*****s”.
SNP president Michael Russell told The National it was “inconceivable” that Leslie still had a political career following the row.
He said: “The Tories are scraping the barrel for candidates.
"It doesn't really matter what you've done or what position you take, as long as you're prepared to stand as a Tory candidate.
Lovely morning out with the team in Fife spreading the @ScotTories message ahead of May's local elections.
— Douglas Ross MP MSP (@Douglas4Moray) March 15, 2022
Right across Scotland we are the only party strong enough to take on the SNP and get all of the focus onto your local priorities. pic.twitter.com/vudP3wVwCZ
"It's pretty revolting.
"It's inconceivable - in most political parties that would have been the end of your political career but Douglas seems to like it, so I think the voters will have their say."
The Scottish Conservatives were approached for comment.
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