SCOTTISH Labour have been forcing new candidates to delete their internet history and wipe any positive reference to independence from their social media.

The party’s Stalin-esque rewriting of their Westminster hopefuls’ past came after pro-independence tweets by Douglas Beattie, the Labour candidate in David Mundell’s Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale seat, were unearthed by the Tories.

During the referendum campaign, Beattie, who is a Labour councillor in Camden, even encouraged Labour members to join the Yes campaign.

“Scotland gets ALL powers by voting Yes. Could hardly be more straightforward #indyref,” he wrote on September 10, 2014. In another he tweeted No voter and Harry Potter author JK Rowling telling her to “have some belief” in an independent Scotland.

“The world believes in Scotland, we should believe in ourselves #indyref,” he added.

Earlier that month he said Nicola Sturgeon was “by some distance the best political debater in Scots and UK politics” and accused other Labour figures of trying to scare voters into backing a No vote, “Just remember when you hear vested interests scaremongering over #indyref we heard it all pre-1999 parliament no to #ProjectFear,” he wrote on September 2, 2014.

The tweets were deleted yesterday morning and Beattie, who previously said he was “gutted” when No won in 2014, said he had changed his mind on the constitutional question.

However, other tweets were left intact, including one where he claimed the reason Labour were “so anti-independence” was “because they are protecting seats at Westminster”.

Yesterday, Beattie said: “I supported the Yes campaign in 2014, but like many Scots I would now vote No in any second independence referendum.

“I support a more federal United Kingdom, and Kezia Dugdale has laid out Labour’s plans for that in recent months.

“There shouldn’t be another independence referendum – it would be a distraction from the economic problems facing our country and the SNP should drop its plans for another vote.”

Labour later announced Sally Prentice as their candidate in the Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire Scottish Parliament by-election, caused by the resignation of Tory MSP John Lamont.

In a press release, Prentice, who joined the party in 2015, said: “The people here need a local champion who will stand up to the SNP in Holyrood and fight against a divisive second independence referendum.”

However, in two separate posts on her Facebook page, Prentice seemed to say the exact opposite.

Just last week she wrote: “SNP Voters: The only way you’re going to get to ask the question again is if Jeremy Corbyn is in number 10. I implore you to hold your nose and vote Labour on 8th of June. There will be plenty of opportunities to vote for SNP further down the line. Theresa May has made it clear that she won’t budge on this, Jeremy Corbyn ON RECORD has stated that it is SCOTLAND’S CHOICE. Help Corbyn to help you! Let’s teach John Lamont a lesson in HUBRIS.”

And then just a few hours later on she added: “A vote for Labour in Scotland is a chance of indyref2, more than what the Tories are offering!”

Once again, after Labour were made aware of the posts they were quickly deleted.

Mundell, said: “Labour are in chaos over the threat of a second independence referendum.”

A Scottish Labour spokesman said: “There is no ambiguity – Jeremy’s position is clear on the issue and will continue to be clear.”