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Aberdeen councillor's 'New Scot' comment was conduct breach

Aberdeen City Council Kairin van Sweeden, woman with long hair, smiling and looking at cameraAberdeen City Council
Kairin van Sweeden made the comment last year

An Aberdeen councillor who described an opponent as a "New Scot" breached the code of conduct, it has been ruled.

The SNP's Kairin van Sweeden made the remark against Labour's Deena Tissera during an Aberdeen City Council meeting in October last year.

Ms Tissera, who was born in Sri Lanka, said the comments made were "nothing less than racism".

Ms van Sweeden apologised and referred herself to the Ethical Standards Commissioner. It has found she did breach the code of conduct.

Deena Tissera, woman with long dark hair looking at camera, wearing a white top under a beige suit jacket, with a large granite building in the background.
Deena Tissera said the comments were "nothing less than racism"

The Ethical Standards Commissioner said that while the term "New Scot" itself may not be a negative, disrespectful or racist term, the context in which Councillor Van Sweeden used it had the effect of being derogatory or disparaging.

This was as it implied she was unaware of certain Scottish or UK policies that had been in place for a number of years.

Councillor Van Sweeden stepped back from her SNP party membership as her conduct was investigated.

Councillor Tissera said the comment had "undermined" her professional competence based on her place of birth.

The Commissioner's report has now been referred to the Standards Commission for Scotland.

Councillor Van Sweeden said she would await more news from the Standards Commission, and was unable to comment.