SNP and Labour clash over cyber bullying claims

The Scottish National party and Labour have clashed over online abuse in a dispute that has highlighted an unpleasant side of political debate in Scotland ahead of next month's general election.

Jim Murphy, Scottish Labour leader demanded the SNP sack one of its election candidates for using a Twitter alias to send insulting messages that included a "Quisling" jibe at pro-union opponents.

But in a testy exchange with Mr Murphy's deputy in the Scottish parliament, Nicola Sturgeon, SNP leader, said Labour needed to get its own house in order, citing a recent tweet by a high profile member that called nationalists "fascist scum".

The exchange was sparked by an Edinburgh Evening News report that said Neil Hay, SNP candidate for Edinburgh South, had in 2012 under the Twitter name Paco McSheepie tweeted a slighting description of elderly voters and called a Labour MP a fool and hypocrite.

Mr Hay apologised "for any offence" caused by the tweets, one of which was a link to a political website that called pro-union politicians "Quislings", a reference to Norwegian second world war collaborators with the Nazi occupation.

The complaints about Mr Hay highlight the potential risks to the SNP's reputation posed by the large numbers of novice politicians among its 59 candidates for next month's general election. Many of them were selected to represent the party only in the past half year.

"Someone with these views, their name does not belong on the ballot paper, and they don't belong in any sensible mainstream political party," Mr Murphy said during a campaign appearance in Edinburgh. "[The SNP] should throw him out and sack him as a candidate."

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However, independence campaigners say abuse is a feature of the fringes of both sides of the debate, and that SNP leaders are often targeted.

Ms Sturgeon condemned Mr Hay's language and comments, but shrugged off the calls to sack him as candidate, saying voters could decide his fate.

She said Labour should consider a tweet earlier this month by Ian Smart, a high profile party member, who said SNP members were "fascist scum forever".

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