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Labor has suspended one of its candidates after reports he shared pro-Russian material online.
the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reevessaid she “hadn’t heard” of candidate Andy Brown until disciplinary action was taken, but said it was “absolutely right” Labor quickly withdrew support for him.
Brown is contesting the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency against Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross and Seamus Logan of the Scottish National Party.
His suspension just over two weeks before the general election means he will still appear until Labor logo on the July 4 ballot, but will be an independent if elected.
Following the Salisbury Novichok poisonings, Brown shared an article on social media in April 2018 by Russian state media RT that claimed the “toxin” used in the Salisbury poisonings “was never produced in Russia, but was in service in the US, UK and other NATO countries’.
Dawn Sturgis, 44, died after being exposed to the novel nerve agent, which was left in a discarded perfume bottle in Amesbury, Wiltshire, in July 2018.
An inquest into her death is due to begin in October.
It was also reported by the Press and Journal that Brown had shared a post on social media suggesting former Prime Minister Theresa May was withholding important information about the poisonings.
Brown also shared a post in 2018 that appeared to play down allegations of anti-Semitism against Labour. The post quoted a Jewish historian as saying that “the real problem … is that right-wing Jews in the Labor Party and outside the party object to the fact that Jeremy Corbyn is a consistent supporter of Palestinian rights.”
Reeves told Sky News: “I hadn’t heard of this man until this morning and I’m very, very pleased that hopefully I won’t have to hear about him again because he’s been dropped as a Labor candidate.” That is absolutely correct. We took quick action. As soon as these posts came to light, we got rid of him.
She added: “People who don’t share our values in a changed Labor Party are being kicked out of the Labor Party, while the Conservative Party continues to harbor people like Liz Truss, who has caused so much damage to working people’s lives up and down the country.”
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A spokesman for the Scottish Labor Party told the BBC: “Andy Brown has been administratively suspended from the Labor Party pending an investigation. We have made a decision to withdraw support for a candidate for a representative during a general election.
“Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer have changed the Labor Party and said every candidate and MP will perform to the highest standards. This action shows they meant it.”
Andy Brown has been contacted for comment.
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