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North Ayrshire Tories have introduced a Twitter blackout as two councillors face mounting pressure over controversial comments.

The Conservative group on the local authority held a crunch meeting on Monday and agreed to “cease using” the social media platform.

Irvine councillor Scott Gallacher’s comments on a secretive Twitter account have been branded as ‘misogynistic’ and ‘racist’ after he called Central Ayrshire MP Dr Philippa Whitford “jihadi phillipa [SIC]”.

Fellow councillor Todd Ferguson has faced calls to quit for ‘xenophobic’ remarks aimed at fellow Councillor Joy Brahim, an EU national.

Both councillors have since apologised for their comments and deleted their Twitter accounts.

And now North Ayrshire Tories have urged fellow councillors to ignore ‘derogatory’ posts from fellow councillors.

The statement said that Conservative councillors won’t be responding to ‘negative’ posts from fellow councillors and urged other councillors to follow suit.

The statement read: “The Conservative group of councillors on NAC condemns the use of Twitter by councillors from all parties who have used this and social media to attack other councillors.

“We accept our responsibility to support and observe the high standards of conduct which is expected of all councillors.

“We do as councillors strive to comply with the Councillors’ Code of Conduct published by the Standards Commission for Scotland.

“This provides that when performing duties as a councillor, a councillor must respect all other councillors, members of the public and all council employees and the role they play, treating them with courtesy at all times.

“If we have inadvertently failed to live up to this high standard we do apologise.

“We have decided as a group to cease using Twitter and will not respond to any negative and derogatory postings from fellow councillors and in the interest of member relations would request that other members do likewise.

“Otherwise member relations will be irreparably damaged and impair the work of the council”

Group leader, Councillor Tom Marshall added: “The group unanimously agreed to this statement.

“We also congratulated Councillor Todd Ferguson, who was subject to a spurious complaint to the Standards Commission, on his receipt from Commission of Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland, intimation that he had not contravened the Code of Conduct in respect of a complaint made by another councillor.”

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