SNP Councillor criticised for insulting opponent online

A prominent SNP Councillor has been urged to apologise after calling the Labour leader of the council he serves on a '˜d*ck' during a heated online argument.
Chris McEleney. Picture: ContributedChris McEleney. Picture: Contributed
Chris McEleney. Picture: Contributed

Christopher McEleny, SNP group leader on Inverclyde council, made the remarks on Twitter last night towards Stephen McCabe, the Labour councillor and Council leader during a debate on the parties’ differing views on the budget.

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Cllr McCabe quoted a tweet by Cllr Mceleney, who stood for the party’s deputy leadership in 2016, of ignoring the views of residents and wanting councillors ‘to just agree millions of cuts’.

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Cllr McEleny hit back, asking: “Do you go out your way to come across as a d*ck at all times or is it natural?”

The council leader then told a newspaper that he was disappointed in the insult and said he hoped that Mr McEleny would apologise, something that the SNP councillor didn’t do.

Mr McCabe told the Herald: “I am very disappointed that he would use such language.

“Unfortunately it is not out of character. He has made a habit of it over the years.

“I don’t intend to make a formal complaint about this incident. I will leave it to his national party and local group to take the action they think is appropriate.”

Mr McEleny defended his language, accusing his political rival of bombarding him with late night Twitter messages and saying that Mr McCabe’s behaviour was consistent with the insult.

He said: “I think the guy has sent me something like over 100 messages late at night over the past while on Twitter. It’s certainly the sort of behaviour that the colloquialism implied.”

Cllr McCabe is himself no stranger to controversy, having once being criticised for engaging in a heated row outside a local church after clashing with the mother of a woman he had argued with online.

The SNP confirmed it has spoken to Mr McEleney about the incident and said they don’t condone the language used.

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