Labour suspends candidate for ‘pro-Russian’ post

The Labour Party has suspended one of its candidates after reports emerged that he had spread “pro-Russian” material online.

Andy Brown, who is running in Aberdeen North and Moray East, also published a post in which he appeared to downplay the anti-Semitism allegations against Labour, as first reported by the Press and Journal.

A Labour Party spokesman said he had been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

A few weeks after the Salisbury poisonings, in April 2018, Brown shared an article on social media from Russian state broadcaster RT, claiming that the “toxin” used in the Salisbury poisonings “was never produced in Russia, but was in use in the United States, the United Kingdom and other NATO countries.”

Separately, in April 2018, he quoted a Jewish historian as saying: “The real problem is that right-wing Jews inside and outside the Labour Party object to Jeremy Corbyn being a consistent supporter of Palestinian rights.”

A Scottish Labour Party spokesman said: “Andy Brown has been administratively suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation. We have taken the decision to withdraw support from a parliamentary candidate during a general election.”

“Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer transformed the Labour Party and said every candidate and MP would work to the highest standards. This action shows they meant it.”

The deadline for political nominations has passed, meaning that while Mr Brown will still appear on the ballot paper on 4 July alongside the Labour logo, if elected he will stand as an independent.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross and SNP’s Seamus Logan are also running in Aberdeen North and Moray East.

A complete list of candidates is available on the BBC News website.