Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has begged Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to resolve a racism case that has dragged on for three years.
Labour is still investigating councillor Jim Dempster, who admitted making vile Islamophobic comments about the SNP politician.
Disciplinary issues are dealt with by the UK Labour Party.
Yousaf said: “It’s not good enough to just palm it off to Labour in London. Anas is the leader of Scottish Labour and I would expect him to take action.”
Sarwar, who has only been in the job since lasts month, agreed, saying: “This simply isn’t good enough.
“It has gone on for far too long and I’ve been very clear we need to have a much faster disciplinary process.
“Delays like this are not only unfair on complainants, they are unfair on those complained against as well.”
In March 2018, the Record revealed Dempster, as a councillor in Dumfries and Galloway, made appalling comments about Yousaf at a transport meeting.
A note showed Government officials challenged Dempster’s claim that Yousaf, then transport minister, did not have much regard for the south-west. Dempster responded: “He may have been at Springholm but no one would have seen him under his burka.”
The councillor apologised and was suspended but three years on, the case has not been resolved.
Yousaf told the Record: “I have stood with Anas on many a platform together in solidarity with the victims of hatred and pledging to do everything we can to rid our society of hatred.
“My plea to Anas would be, now that he has been elected as leader, sort this out.
“To not leave any victim of racism or Islamophobia, because I am not the only one, without justice.
“He is the leader of Scottish Labour, he should just be instructing London Labour that he will be taking over responsibility for this.”
Yousaf also claimed Labour had not reached out to him during the probe.
Sarwar responded yesterday: “Humza knows how seriously I take this.
“We may represent different parties but we share a determination to tackle hatred and prejudice in Scotland.”
