THE Scottish Tories are urging Reform to suspend their candidate facing Douglas Ross after she described the royal family as “benefit scroungers”.
Jo Hart, Reform UK’s candidate in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, was found to have posted a lengthy tirade disparaging the monarchy on her Facebook page in 2022.
During the bank holiday weekend which marked the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Hart wrote: “But then the Jubilee comes along, for our 'glorious monarch' who has never experienced the kind of hardship having to choose between heating or food, she doesn't have to worry about keeping the lights on or not, in fact, the many MANY millions that have been p****d away on the jubilee celebrations haven't even come from her pocket, but from the public purse.
"This HUGELY WASTEFUL light show at the palace is nothing but a slap in the face to all of us common folk who are struggling with energy bills right now!"
The comments, which were first reported by the Daily Mail, concluded with a call for the monarchy to be abolished in the UK.
"So this weekend when you're cracking out the bunting and celebrating the jubilee, just use that massively washed brain of yours and think instead, at just how much of a p*** take this all really is,” said Hart.
"All the while I hear people banging on about people on benefits scrounging... THE SINGLE BIGGEST BENEFITS SCROUNGERS ARE THE MONARCHY IT'S TIME IT WAS SCRAPPED! F*** THE ROYALS! #makelizzythelast."
The chairman of the Scottish Conservatives, Craig Hoy, has written to Reform UK chairman Richard Tice calling on him to suspend Hart immediately and describing her criticism of the royal family as “anti-Britain”.
"Your candidate apparently wrote ‘f*ck the Royals’ and compared the late Queen and entire Royal Family to ‘benefit scroungers’,” he said.
"During the Jubilee, when the whole of Britain united in celebration of the service and sacrifice of the late Queen, reports state your candidate said the monarchy should be abolished.
"This Reform candidate must be suspended immediately.
"If you do not act, you are saying these anti-Britain statements are acceptable.
"You are sending a clear message that Reform seems to tolerate sickening insults towards the late Queen and shameful anti-monarchy views.
"You must publicly condemn this candidate and suspend them immediately. "
It comes after Labour suspended their candidate in the constituency, Andy Brown, following reports he shared “pro-Russian” material on social media.
Douglas Ross’s choice to stand in the seat has also garnered controversy after the Scottish Conservative’s party management board – of which Ross is a member – stopped former Scotland Office minister David Duguid from standing.
They claimed that Duguid was too ill to contest the seat after he was hospitalised due to health difficulties involving his spine and pneumonia.
However, Duguid said this was a “factual inaccuracy” and claimed he was perfectly willing to stand after being voted through as the candidate by local members.
“It was not my decision not to stand,” he said.
Instead, Ross announced that he would be standing and stepping down as an MSP if he was victorious.
A poll published by Ipsos on Wednesday predicted that SNP candidate Seamus Logan would win the seat with 42% of the vote while the Tories would gain 27% and Reform 11%.
Reform UK declined a request to comment.
