A councillor who made Islamophobic comments about SNP Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has finally quit Labour nearly four years after the scandal.
Jim Dempster walked away after Labour brought charges against him.
Yousaf blasted: “Jim Dempster should never have been allowed to leave Scottish Labour on his terms. He is an elected Councillor who admitted his Islamaphobic behaviour and had serious allegations of racism made about him. He has no place in public life, and local Government will be better off without him."
As revealed by the Daily Record in 2018, Dempster, a councillor in Dumfries and Galloway, made appalling comments about Yousaf at a transport meeting.
A note showed Government officials challenged Dempster’s claim that Yousaf, the then transport minister, did not have much regard for the south-west.
Dempster responded: “He may have been at Springholm but no one would have seen him under his burka.”
The councillor apologised and was suspended, but the case dragged on and became an embarrassment for successive Scottish Labour leaders.
Dempster has now announced his decision to resign and stand as an independent in May's council election.
He told the Dumfries and Galloway Standard: “After almost four years since the suspension of my membership of the Labour Party, the National Executive Committee (NEC) have brought charges against me, basically alleging that I am a racist.
"I have admitted making an ill devised attempt at humour against Humza Yousaf but deny the other charges against me.
"I am not a racist. The timing of the proceedings against me, with the local election imminent, conflict with my desire to continue as a councillor.
"A challenge to the charges would not allow me to stand for election as a Labour Party candidate, although I have the backing of the local party.
"I have therefore, with great sadness, resigned my membership of the Labour Party which I served diligently for 22 years. I will stand for election as an independent."
He concluded: “I will leave it to the electorate to decide whether I am a fit and proper person to continue to represent them."
Yousaf added: “We must have zero tolerance for any instances of hatred in our society and political parties need to be setting the strongest possible examples.
“I hope Scottish Labour seriously reflect on this case and put in place better systems for tackling racism, Islamophobia and all others forms discrimination that may arise in the future.”
A Scottish Labour Party spokesman confirmed Dempster had resigned from the Labour Party.
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