SNP activist suspended over threatening tweet to former Better Together chief

An SNP activist has been suspended after saying the former campaign director of Better Together should be "swinging from a lamp post".

Mark Fagan called Blair McDougall a "Lying Red Tory" in a post on Twitter that has since been deleted.

Mr McDougall, a former Labour strategist, shared the tweet with his followers, adding: "Wake up to another SNP member talking about executing me.

"He says he's in the same seat as two SNP politicians who follow me. I don't expect they'll lift a finger.

Former Better Together chief Blair McDougall. Picture: Jane Barlow/TSPL

"No SNP member ever has any of the other times I've shared SNP members posting fantasies about this. Just another day."

Mr Fagan's full post read: "Tell us again the benefits of voting no. Lying Red Tory. You actually boast about this, you should be swinging from a lamp post."

The tweet was widely condemned, with Labour MP Chris Bryant saying the police should investigate.

The SNP confirmed Mr Fagan has now been suspended.

Mr McDougall later shared a list of further threats and abuse levelled against him and others on social media and challenged the SNP to take action on those too.

The SNP said only one of the examples related to a party member and they had made the remark four years prior to joining.

However, it said it would be contacting them to let them know "that attitudes like that have no place in the SNP".

A spokesman said: "There is absolutely no excuse for abuse or threats in Scottish public life."