Nicola Sturgeon urged to investigate claims SNP members promoted '˜vile anti-Semitic' blog

Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to investigate claims that SNP members have promoted a 'vile anti-Semitic blog' on social media.

By The Newsroom Monday, 29th October 2018, 3:45 pm Updated Tuesday, 30th October 2018, 4:16 am

The pro-Nationalist “Grouse Beater” blog, in a sweeping attack on last week’s two-day public sector strike in Glasgow, includes a section setting out Hitler’s opposition to trade unions and the dictator’s claim that Jews had assumed leadership of much of the movement.

The author has denied claims of anti-semitism.

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The blog also criticises GMB union chief Rhea Wolfson over her role in the strikes. But it has met with angry reaction from Labour figures who point to the fact that Ms Wolfson is herself Jewish.

“This vile blog has been shared by the Livingston East SNP and Edinburgh East SNP social media accounts,” Labour’s West Lothian MSP Neil Findlay says in a letter to Ms Sturgeon today.

“It was also shared by West Lothian SNP councillors Frank Anderson and Carl John from their joint Facebook Page.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

“Our parties clearly have different views in the role of the trade union movement in Scotland, but regardless of that we should stand united against hatred and racism. It is simply unacceptable that this vile anti-Semitic blog has been promoted by various SNP accounts.

“You should instigate an investigation into this immediately and suspend those SNP members, notably any elected member, pending an investigation.”

The blog cites Mein Kampf, and describes how Hitler attacked unions “over an over again” in his book.

“Unions are fascism’s Public Enemy Number 1,” the blog states.

And it adds: “He (Hitler) accused ‘The Jew’ of gradually assuming leadership of the trade union movement. Hitler wanted a blindly obedient fighting force loyal only to the national leader of government.

“Whether or not Wolfson is intellectually aware of Hitler’s outlook is unknown but she is certainly commendable assiduous in condemning anti-semitisim in the Labour party.”

The author says he amended part of the article referring to Hitler after criticism in the comments section of the blog - but rejected claims of anti-semitism.

The blog, it is claimed, “makes plain it refers to her (Ms Wolfson’s) involvement with the Labour party’s troubles over anti-Semitism.”

The author adds that “half his family” are Jewish.

“No matter what I had written, the GMB would have found the sentence they wanted to rattle as a way of shutting down the debate. The essay is an attempt to show the roots of fascism, and sadly, how it infects every aspect of our lives now that obnoxious hard-right ideals are considered normal discourse, worthy of a place in society.”

In a series of tweets, Livingston East SNP also apologised.

It said: “Earlier tonight a link was posted from this account to an article which has been accused of anti-semitism.