The SNP must suspend council election candidate Sylvia Willmot after she compared the Conservative Party to Nazis, according to South Scotland Labour MSP Colin Smyth.

According to media reports, Willmot, who is standing for the SNP in Annandale East and Eskdale in this week’s local government elections, said in a now deleted post on Facebook in November 2019: “Tories the ‘Nazi’ party” in response to a news article featuring former Ministerial aide Daniel Kawczynski. The candidate is also said to have shared articles considered anti-semitic.

Colin Smyth said: “These reports are really shocking.

“There is no room in our politics at any level for offensive conspiracy theories, offensive comments and anti-Semitism.

“The SNP must distance themselves from this bile by not only suspending this candidate but withdrawing all support from her campaign and making clear to their supporters that they should not vote for the candidate.

“Voters in Annandale East and Eskdale deserve better.”