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RUTH Davidson has been urged to apologise after her party appeared to question the right of EU citizens to participate in Scottish politics.

The Scottish Conservative leader is facing questions over whether she personally approved a statement issued by the party press office making a “xenophobic slur” against former SNP MSP Christian Allard.

French-born Allard had reported Tory MSP Alexander Burnett to the Standards Commissioner for failing to disclose his business interests when raising objections against a rival property developer in parliament.

But the Tories responded to the complaint by highlighting Allard’s nationality.

A statement issued through the press office said: “Some people may find it bizarre that an EU citizen has an interest in a planning application in Banchory.

“However, it is easily explained when people understand that the planning consultant in question is an SNP appointee to the Scottish Government housing committee and Christian Allard was a former SNP MSP.”

(Image: Daily Record)

Allard has been resident in Scotland for years, lives near Banchory in Burnett’s constituency and represented the area at Holyrood until earlier this year.

SNP MSP Gillian Martin has now written to Ruth Davidson demanding an apology and seeking clarification over her role in the incident.

“It’s beyond belief that the Tories would so brazenly question the rights of EU citizens to have their voices heard – but sadly it is all too typical of the right-wing rabble the Tory group at Holyrood are becoming,” she said.

“We need to know how this appalling statement came to be issued by the Scottish Tory press office, and I am now writing to Ruth Davidson to demand clarity on the issue.

“Did she personally approve this statement?

“If not, did any Tory MSP sign it off?

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

“And if not then will the party launch an immediate investigation and discipline the member of staff responsible?

“Regardless of where blame lies, Ms Davidson should get her house in order, withdraw the comment and apologise for this xenophobic nonsense.”

Martin said the comments were particularly ill judged given the rise of hate crimes against EU nationals recorded in the aftermath of the Brexit vote.

“The consequences of such dog-whistle politics can be very unpleasant indeed, and there is no place for such rhetoric in Scotland,” she added.

“Ruth Davidson’s new boss Theresa May once described the Tories as ‘the nasty party’ – anything less than a full apology and retraction in this case will merely confirm that view.”

But a Scottish Conservative spokesman last night dismissed Martin’s comments.

He said: “Mr Allard is entirely within his rights to make a complaint if he wishes and it is ridiculous for the SNP and the Greens to claim we would think otherwise because of his nationality.

“People should simply be aware that he is a former SNP MSP.”

Burnett was elected as an MSP in May’s Holyrood election.