A Dundee SNP election candidate who gave herself a sore throat shouting abuse at the Pope had a profile picture of herself mocked up as Jesus Christ on social media.
Siobhan Tolland, who sits on the National Executive Committee, is standing at May’s local council election in the Lochee ward – an area with strong Irish and Catholic roots.
She was previously criticised after we reported how she travelled to Edinburgh in 2010 to shout foul abuse at Pope Benedict XVI .
She wrote on social media that she “feels she might have gone a wee bit too far when she called him a c**t”.
The SNP candidate also referred to the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US as an “inside job” orchestrated by politicians and the media.
‘Religiously offensive’ behaviour
We can now reveal SNP bosses ignored a warning about Ms Tolland’s allegedly “religiously offensive” behaviour 18 months ago, including a Facebook profile picture where her face had been superimposed over an image of Jesus.
The picture has been described by an opposition MSP as “highly offensive”.
The revelation comes at an embarrassing time for the SNP as the party launches its local election campaign in Glasgow.
In an email in October 2020, seen by us, the SNP’s national secretary was warned specifically about the image and other concerns about Ms Tolland’s behaviour.
Ms Tolland uploaded the picture around July 2020, just months before she unsuccessfully campaigned to become the party’s new equalities convener.
It carried the caption “let there be no hunger among you” – an apparent reference to her involvement in running Dundee Thegither, which is, among other things, a food crisis charity.
Profile picture branded ‘insulting’
A source with ties to Dundee Thegither said: “This was publicly her profile pic on Facebook for a couple of months.
“Not only is this offensive to anyone of Christian faith but is insulting to those who were applying to the organisation for food parcels.”
SNP bosses were previously criticised by Call It Out, a group that campaigns against anti-Catholic and anti-Irish bigotry, for its “astonishing” response to calls for Ms Tolland to be sacked as a candidate.
Instead of removing her from the ballot, the party instead questioned whether a local MSP who publicly criticised her actions condones historical child abuse in the church.
Responding to the latest revelation, Call It Out said it “beggars belief that she is still being fielded as a candidate by the SNP”.
But the SNP accused critics of a “nasty campaign against a working class woman” and said the image was created by a friend “in recognition of her local charity work.”
North East Labour MSP Michael Marra said: “The SNP in Dundee were asked by many people not to progress this candidacy prior to the close of nominations.
“It now turns out they were asked to take action 18 months ago.
“The SNP’s decision to put their party’s political needs before the public interest is deeply disappointing but is increasingly typical of their approach.”
Scottish Conservative chief whip Stephen Kerr said: “This highly offensive mocked-up picture is just the latest proof that this candidate is not fit for public office.
“The caption is particularly crass given her involvement with a food crisis charity.”
SNP hits out at ‘nasty campaign’
A Dundee SNP spokesperson said the image was sent by a friend “in jest”.
“It was never intended to offend but Siobhan, who herself was raised a Catholic, deleted the image some time ago in recognition that not everyone would find it funny,” the spokesperson said.
“Siobhan accepts that she has posted things that she shouldn’t have done and has already apologised for that.
“This nasty campaign against a working class woman, who has spent her whole life involved in charity work, is now getting out of hand and is no doubt one of the reasons so few women stand for election.”
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