SNP MSP Humza Yousaf has written to Jim Murphy asking the Scottish Labour party to expel Muhammad Shoaib, the former SNP member who defected to Labour last week after he made a string of racist remarks in an interview with the Sunday Herald.

Shoaib’s defection was met with great approbation by the Labour party and was splashed on the front page of a Labour-supporting downmarket tabloid. Deputy leader Anas Sarwar said the party was, “delighted” that Shoaib, who was chairman of Scots-Asians for Yes, had made the switch. At the time, the SNP accused Shoaib of sour grapes, as he had only weeks before been rejected as a candidate for the General Election.

In an interview with the Sunday Herald, Shoaib claimed that he had not been selected as a candidate because he was not the right sort of Pakistani. He then went on to call SNP candidate Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh a “coconut Pakistani”.

“We knew that, apart from Tasmina, nobody else was going to succeed in the SNP. I told everybody long before the process started they wanted coconut Pakistanis, they don’t want pure Pakistanis.

“This is a saying of community elders – those people who look black or are from a black background [but are] white inside.”

The comments were criticised by race equality groups.

The CEO of Black and Minority Infrastructure Scotland, one of Scotland’s largest race equality umbrella bodies, claimed the comments from someone in a position of responsibility could have an effect on young people.

Rami Ousta said: “There is no doubt that in Scotland we have a robust pride in celebrating and living diversity at various levels. Such terminology is unacceptable and damaging to the core values of diversity, equality and active citizenship. Such naive statements carry serious implications for our young generations, our diverse communities and the wider society as a whole: what messages are we giving through such terminology to our young generations and diverse communities?”

In his letter, Yousaf asks for Murphy’s support. He writes: “I am sure as the leader of Labour in Scotland you will want to take a similar zero-tolerance approach to racism, regardless of where it comes from.

"I am therefore asking you to take a strong stance against racism and to expel Mr Shoaib from the Labour Party for such disgraceful comments.

“I look forward to hearing from you regarding what action you have taken against Mr Shoaib. I hope you will demonstrate that the Labour Party will not tolerate racism, wherever it comes from and whoever it comes from.”