A senior SNP councillor has refused to apologise for a rant about “quislings” and “red coats” despite being condemned by Nicola Sturgeon.
Dave Doogan, the depute leader of SNP-run Perth and Kinross Council, referred to “foreign” rule in Scotland during a town hall debate on the Gaelic language.
An extract of his speech, which was delivered in Gaelic and later translated by Mr Doogan, read: “Let us not reflect on concerns that we have been under the heel of foreign influence and power for over 300 years.
“The island of Britain is no longer subject to the actions of quislings who may seek to see smaller cultures extinguished on an island of coffins by red coats.”
Mr Doogan, who previously worked for Deputy First Minister John Swinney, declined an opportunity to clarify his comments or apologise, when approached by The Courier on Monday.
He said: “I have no comment to make. If you want a comment you will need to go to the First Minister’s office.”
Asked if he could explain the remarks in his own words, he said: “I am not commenting”. He also refused to say whether he thought Ms Sturgeon was correct to condemn what he had said.
The First Minister’s official spokesman said there was nothing more to add to what she told the Scottish Parliament on Thursday.
The spokesman said: “The First Minister has made her views clear on this in the chamber. Anything further would be a matter for the party.”
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An SNP spokesman said: “As the First Minister made very clear last week the SNP condemns all comments that are in any way, shape or form racist or anti-English or that in any way seek to divide people on the basis of their ethnicity.”
The spokesman added the party is “among the loudest voices in the UK calling for diversity, tolerance and freedom of movement”.
Several of Mr Doogan’s party colleagues are said to be “livid” over his comments, with the Scottish Conservatives eyeing up Perth & Kinross in the upcoming local elections.
At last year’s Holyrood election, Mr Swinney’s share of the Perthshire North vote was slashed by 12.3%.
Mr Doogan, an aircraft engineer who had a career in the Ministry of Defence, was employed in Mr Swinney’s constituency office until 2015.