Richard Leonard has claimed that the media is “at war” with Scottish Labour because journalists are asking him about a councillor who has yet to be formally disciplined for racially abusing a Muslim government minister.

The Scottish Labour leader complained that the media was dodging the “important questions” on party policy, in favour of inquiries about Jim Dempster, who admitted a racist slur against Humza Yousaf last year.

Last night Mr Yousaf, the Scottish justice secretary, described his remarks as “a complete insult to Scotland’s Muslim community”.

Mr Dempster, a Dumfries and Galloway councillor, had said that he did not know whether Mr Yousaf had ever visited his constituency because “no one would have seen him under his burka”. He was suspended after admitting