SNP Candidate Annette Valentine makes sick joke about disabled people, since her name’s Annette will it be ‘curtains’ for her the same as Lyall Duff?

Dear All

It seems the Scottish National Party has run into yet another extremely and highly embarrassing row.

This time is all about abusing disabled people.

SNP Councillor Annette Valentine posted a sick joke on the internet stating:

“I know it’s cruel but it is funny.”

This row is the latest blow to hit Alex Salmond as the SNP seek to replicate their stunning win of the Holyrood.

Although the Holyrood result was stunning, the electorate is much more sophisticated in how they place their votes in election.

People know that in Westminster and Council elections, they aren’t getting candidates of the same calibre of Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.

They are getting a lot worse.

The sick joke by the Motherwell West SNP councillor and candidate Annette Valentine was about people with cleft palates.

Miss Valentine wrote on the social networking site Facebook about David Beckham, his wife Victoria and their baby daughter, called Harper Seven.

She dittoed:

“So the (B)ecks have named there (sic) baby Harper 7. The last time I heard that was when I asked a bloke with a hare lip the time.”

SNP Councillor Valentine added:

“I know it’s cruel but it is funny.”

This has led to disabled and charity groups condemning the remarks as “absolutely appalling.”

Earlier this week, the SNP had suspended North Lanarkshire council candidate Lyall Duff who launched what is described by many as an anti Catholic attack.

Duff went online to describe two Catholic midwives, who fought a legal battle over their wish to be excused any duties relating to abortions, as “money-grabbing old witches”.

This is just another example of what is has wrong in the Scottish National Party, by operating the SNP as a middle class clique, those who are connected to the leadership think they can do what they like and say what they like.

Only when it becomes public does the Scottish National Party act to do damage limitation.

Not before.

The latest incident shows how out of touch the SNP middle class clique is with ordinary working class people.

Unless there is a change of attitude from the very top, the council elections will have to reply heavily on the Salmond bounce to get SNP Councils.

And the result will see whether Alex Salmond has used up the least of his goodwill with the voters.

SNP Councillor Annette Valentine should be suspended as a candidate but probably won’t be.

What message does that send out?

It says it is okay to be cruel to disabled people in the Scottish National Party because you can get away with it ‘scot free’.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University