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A LABOUR candidate has been forced to attend anti-racism training after “racist” tweets of hers were uncovered by The National.
Tweets were revealed in which council hopeful Amanda Kerr referred to “taigs” - an anti-Irish slur - and appeared to have referred to a Westminster politician as a “rodent”.
Kerr hopes to take a seat on North Ayrshire Council, representing the seaside town Ardrossan, after the May election.
She has since apologised for the remarks, which she called “repugnant”.
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The party has confirmed she will be made to “undergo appropriate equalities training” after The National brought the tweets to light.
Jeanette Findlay, chair of the anti-sectarianism charity Call It Out, sparked calls for the candidate to apologise.
She said: “Kerr should apologise to the multi-generational Irish community and disavow this racist comment as a matter of urgency.
“If she does not, then the Labour Party locally and nationally, should disassociate themselves from her.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Greens said: “There can be no place in modern day Scotland for anti-Catholic prejudice like this.
"It is incumbent on the Scottish Labour Party to reflect on its candidate selection process with this in mind, and that the candidate offers, at the very least, a sincere apology to Scotland’s Catholic community.”
Kerr’s comments were revealed in a number of incoherent tweets unearthed on her official campaign Twitter account.
In 2016, in response to an account which has since been suspended by site moderators, Kerr tweeted: “holy fuck.. im far from a miserable cunt […] ffs u would think he was a thaig making awful assumptions like that lol”.
In another, she appeared to take aim at the SNP after the party did not vote for a UK General Election in 2017. She also referred to a politician involved as a “rodent”.
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She tweeted: “Fuck all to lose... why are SNP abstaining with a wee rodent mouthing like she has from yesterday at the back of them. Labour done right”.
Kerr told The National: “These repugnant comments in no way reflect my views and I am deeply sorry for the distress that they have caused.
“Anti-Catholic bigotry is real and has no place in Scottish life. I apologise unreservedly to Scotland’s catholic community.”
A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: “These comments are completely unacceptable and the candidate has apologised unreservedly.
“Ms Kerr will be required to undergo appropriate equalities training.
“All of Scottish Labour’s candidates are committed to standing to represent the aims and values of the Scottish Labour Party and will be held to the highest standard.”
Labour, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn at the time, voted for a General Election, which saw the Tories lose their majority over then prime minister Theresa May’s disastrous Brexit plans.
Scottish Labour are currently in a minority administration in North Ayrshire Council.
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