Councillor accused of racism resigns from the SNP and will face investigation

A councillor has resigned from the SNP and will face an investigation after she was accused of racism.

Aberdeen City councillor Kairin van Sweeden will “step back” from the party and has referred herself to the Standards Commission, the SNP confirmed.

The remark came during a debate on austerity on Wednesday afternoon, with Ms van Sweeden telling Labour councillor, Deena Tissera: “I realise, as a new Scot, Councillor Tissera maybe doesn’t know about the mitigation that the SNP Government has had to put in over the years they have been in power.”

The exchange prompted an angry reaction in the chamber with Ms Tissera telling Ms van Sweeden: “I do not appreciate those comments. I have taken the Life in the UK test to become a citizen. I probably know more than you do.”

The SNP councillor later apologised in the chamber following objections by other councillors. She later said: “I unreservedly apologise for the clumsy language I used in the chamber and the offence it caused.

“It could not be further from the values I hold.”

A spokesperson for the SNP said: “Cllr van Sweeden has taken the decision to refer herself to the Standards Commission and requested the SNP national secretary investigate comments she made during yesterday’s council meeting, which she immediately and unreservedly apologised for.

“Whilst those processes are under way, she has stepped back from her SNP party membership.”

Earlier on Thursday, Ms Tissera wrote to the First Minister, saying: “The innuendo of her comments were that I had just come off the boat as a new Scot – her words not mine – I am not as Scottish as others and I did not understand Scotland like her and the SNP group, this being despite the SNP council leader being of French descent and myself holding a United Kingdom passport.

“All leaders must stand up against racism and words are easy but it is actions that are required.”

She added: “First Minister, it is incumbent on us to stand together against racism and, as such, I call on you to act in this matter and act by suspending councillor van Sweeden.”

It’s unacceptable and the councillor is right to apologise

Mr Yousaf told the PA news agency on Thursday: “It was unacceptable. I saw the comment this morning. It’s unacceptable and the councillor is right to apologise.

“In fact, I also want to apologise to Councillor Tissera who was on the receiving end of that comment.

“There will now be a process around a potential disciplinary. I’ll not interfere in that process.”

Referencing Ms van Sweeden’s apology, he said: “It wasn’t just clumsy. It speaks to the unconscious bias and discrimination that people hold and we all have to challenge ourselves – we all have it – but we have to challenge ourselves about it.

First Minister, it is incumbent on us to stand together against racism and as such, I call on you to act in this matter and act by suspending Councillor van Sweeden

“But there’s just no kind of place for that language. I saw the comments and I was thoroughly disappointed.”