I'm not – won't have to spend four years listening to people complaining about bins not getting emptied – was prepared to, someone has to.
— Pòla Mil Ròs (@PaulaHoneyRose) April 5, 2017
A prospective Angus Council candidate caught up in a Twitter porn row has resigned from the SNP – but will now compete in the election as an independent.
Paul Wright, who had been selected by the SNP to contest the Brechin and Edzell ward, admitted posting extreme pornography, which he censored by using two large coffee cups, on social media.
Mr Wright, whose Twitter user name is Paula Honey Rose, made the posts during an argument on social media.
He said he tweeted the images to demonstrate the character of another user, who had previously posted the uncensored images on his feed. They were deleted two hours later.
However, at a meeting of Brechin and Edzell branch of the SNP on Tuesday it became clear that Mr Wright no longer had the support of many members.
The branch planned to take action at an extraordinary general meeting that was hastily arranged for Thursday night.
When Mr Wright was told of the meeting he decided to resign from the party.
His former election agent David Smart explained: “At Tuesday’s meeting it was obvious that many people, in particular women, didn’t want to work with him.
“We decided to hold an extraordinary general meeting on Thursday night.
“It was obvious that if we were to hold the meeting on Thursday night that if he wasn’t going to jump, he was going to be pushed.
“I spoke to Paul on Wednesday and gave him cognisance of the situation and he decided to stand down and resign his membership of the SNP.
“I think from a political point of view it was essential. No matter what the justification of what he did was, it wasn’t going to wash.”
Despite initially suggesting he might give up on his effort to be elected to Angus Council — and tweeting he “won’t have to spend four years listening to people complaining about bins not getting emptied” — Mr Wright will now stand as an independent but appear as a SNP candidate on the ballot paper as the deadline for making changes has now passed.
The SNP intend to include a document explaining the position with every leaflet for their other Brechin and Edzell candidate, Kenny Braes.
Mr Wright claimed he had been a victim of a “vicious smear” and added that “people believe headlines and do not search out the truth for themselves.”
He said: “The local branch of the SNP no longer want me to stand as their candidate. There is not the time available to undo the damage that has been done.
“I said to my ex-agent that I would accept the view of the branch and stand down as their candidate and that I would resign from the party.
“(I will be) SNP on the ballot, that is immutable, but if elected I would be an independent.”
He added: “My mistake was to put the interests of those being viciously bullied online ahead of my own or those of the SNP.”
Paul Wright tweets about the row
Thank you everyone for your kind words and support over the last couple of days – we now know how low those who look down on us will go.
— Pòla Mil Ròs (@PaulaHoneyRose) April 4, 2017
Bet my profile visits have gone stratospheric over the last few days.
— Pòla Mil Ròs (@PaulaHoneyRose) April 5, 2017
I take on a bully and show him up for the deviant he is and I get villified in the Express – now I'm dropped by the SNP, the deviant gloats.
— Pòla Mil Ròs (@PaulaHoneyRose) April 5, 2017
I'm not – won't have to spend four years listening to people complaining about bins not getting emptied – was prepared to, someone has to.
— Pòla Mil Ròs (@PaulaHoneyRose) April 5, 2017
I'm now a candidate for the SNP –
Super Nice Paula party –
Standing one candidate (moi) in the
Brechin & Edzell ward of Angus Council.— Pòla Mil Ròs (@PaulaHoneyRose) April 6, 2017
SNP Brechin and Edzell branch statement
“Following the recent revelations in the press concerning our nominated candidate Paul Wright, the executive committee of the Brechin branch of the SNP decided that Mr Wright, given the seriousness of the allegations, was unacceptable to go forward as a candidate for the branch in the forthcoming local elections.
“Paul has decided to withdraw from the election and resign from the SNP.
“At the time of the acceptance of Mr Wright’s nomination we were totally unaware of anything untoward in his background and at the time of his interview with our vetting committee none of his internet activities were revealed.
“Had they been, he would not have received a nomination to stand as a candidate for the Scottish National Party.
“Our focus now, after this very unhappy event, is to work tirelessly for our remaining candidate Kenny Braes and to assure the people of Brechin and Edzell, no matter the consequences, SNP candidates will always adhere to the ethics and standards that our voters expect.
“Unfortunately due to Electoral Commission rules Paul Wright’s name cannot be removed from the ballot paper.
“It will be made abundantly clear during our canvassing and leafleting activities in Brechin and Edzell, Paul Wright is no longer a candidate in this election.”
