Comments made by an SNP councillor in Aberdeen accused of racism have been branded “unacceptable” by the First Minister.
Humza Yousaf said Kairin van Sweeden was right to apologise for her comments made during an Aberdeen City Council meeting on Wednesday, where she described Labour councillor Deena Tissera as a “new Scot”.
Councillor Tissera, who was born in Sri Lanka and holds full British citizenship, has since written to the Fist Minister urging him to suspend Ms van Sweeden and “stand together against racism”.
Ms Van Sweeden has since apologised for the “clumsy language”, which has been dismissed by Mr Yousaf.
It’s unacceptable and the councillor is right to apologise— Humza Yousaf, First Minister
He 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— Deena Tissera, Aberdeen city councillor
“But there’s just no kind of place for that language. I saw the comments and I was thoroughly disappointed.”
The remark came during a debate on austerity on Wednesday afternoon, with Van Sweeden saying: “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 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.”
But in her letter to the First Minister, Ms Tissera said she would refer the matter to the Standards Commission, adding: “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.”
The letter was also sent to SNP chief executive Murray Foote.
