PROMINENT supporters of anti-independence group Scotland in Union have attacked the First Minister for accepting the Holocaust Educational Trust’s invite to visit the death camp where one million Jews were killed.

Twitter’s Unionist troll community has been irked by pictures of Nicola Sturgeon taken at Auschwitz earlier this week when she accompanied 200 Scottish school children. The SNP have been infuriated by attacks on the visit.

In a letter to the Daily Express, Martin Redfern accused the First Minister of using her visit as a “photo opportunity”.

He wrote, “I, too, have been to the former concentration camp and found the visit to be a deeply distressing experience.

“I wonder though – would it not have been more appropriate for the First Minister to have made a private visit, rather than do so in the full glare of the media?”

That letter was shared on Twitter by Allan Sutherland, a former regional organiser with Scotland in Union.

Both men were involved in a 12-person letter writing cabal aligned to Scotland in Union.

The First Minister was accused of 'self-indulgence'

Last December an email between Scotland in Union supporters, including Redfern and Sutherland, was leaked to the Wings over Scotland site showing that the group had managed to place 5000 letters in the papers in less than three years.

In the email exchange, Alastair Cameron, the founder of Scotland in Union, writing from his official SIU account, warned against people advertising the “existence of the group”.

“It can be mentioned verbally, in safe environment, that some people share letters/encourage each others, but anything more risks editors discriminating, nationalists reacting and this diverse group being portrayed as a monolithic campaign,” he said.

“We all know what fantastic results people are having, but your praises will have to remain unsung.”

Scotland in Union claim that they don’t run a letter-writing group and that Martin Refern does not write or campaign on behalf of Scotland in Union. The group’s Twitter account frequently shares Redfern’s letters on their social media.

An SNP spokesman said people in the party were disgusted by his latest missive. “Scotland in Union are beneath contempt,” the spokesman said. “They should have listened to the First Minister on Thursday, as she reflected on her visit, the lessons we should learn from the horrors of the Holocaust and its enduring relevance to this day.

“It’s utterly inappropriate to abuse such serious matters for petty political reasons.”

A spokesperson for Scotland in Union said: “It is disgusting that the SNP has sunk so low to use such a sensitive and important issue to attempt to attack Scotland in Union.

“It reeks of utter desperation and is frankly beyond the pale.

“The Nationalists only resort to this because they know we speak for the majority who know that Scotland is better off in the UK.”

The First Minister’s visit was criticised by other prominent anti-independence activists.

The academic Tom Gallagher accused the First Minister of “self-indulgence”.

Camglen radio presenter, David G Wilson tweeted: “Right-minded people respectfully commemorate the sacrifice but some among us care

little for the sanctity of human life and mock their memories by their cynical, staged, ‘events’ like this. Sickening.”

I asked @NicolaSturgeon about antisemitism at #FMQs today and we talked about her visit this week to Auschwitz. It’s warmly to be welcomed that Scottish political leaders visit the sites of the Holocaust and learn, and watch children learning alongside them, of its unique horrors — Adam Tomkins MSP (@ProfTomkins) November 1, 2018





Tory MSP Adam Tomkins, called for calm said he was disgusted by some of the remarks made about the First Minister’s visit.

He tweeted: “I asked @NicolaSturgeon about anti-Semitism at #FMQs today and we talked about her visit this week to Auschwitz.

“It’s warmly to be welcomed that Scottish political leaders visit the sites of the Holocaust and learn, and watch children learning alongside them, of its unique horrors.

“I disagree with the First Minister on a great deal, but the idea she was in Auschwitz for party political gain is risible.

"I am glad she was there, and I support what she’s done this week to shine light on one of humanity’s darkest periods.”