Just 24 hours after Nicola Sturgeon revealed the level of abuse she receives from online trolls, a Scottish Tory office-bearer made a sick joke about the First Minister’s previous miscarriage.
Sturgeon was rightly praised for speaking out in public about the miscarriage in order to help other women facing similar heartbreak.
But she might regret being so candid in future if this is the kind of debasing reaction that is dished out.
She was right to speak about this subject and her own experience.
Politicians are human beings and it’s a good thing when they sound like it.
Online political comments can quickly become an open sewer of abuse fed largely by cowards hiding behind anonymous avatars and unfunny nicknames.
It doesn’t really matter what side you’re on, this kind of dirt-flinging is a dismal indictment on modern politics.
As Sturgeon said, there is not much the political parties can do to police it.
However, this snide attack was not from an anonymous keyboard warrior in their teenage bedroom – it was from the honorary treasurer of the Moray Conservative Association.
It’s completely unacceptable that anyone in the public sphere should attack a politician in this manner, and her actions should be condemned by her own party and across the board.
Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson should make an example of the official who made the tweet and ask for her membership card to be surrendered.
The Tories are known as “the nasty party” but surely even they would not tolerate such a person in their ranks.
Freedom fight
The diplomatic storm around our man in China, Simon Cheng Man-kit, continues to grow.
Simon, who works for agency Scottish Development International in Hong Kong, vanished two weeks ago after crossing the Chinese border for a business trip.
The Chinese government has only now confirmed they have detained him but will not issue details of why he is being held or why he was incommunicado for a fortnight.
This style of rough justice is exactly the reason thousands are demonstrating on the streets of Hong Kong against oppression.
Simon personifies why so many are concerned about the authoritarian Chinese government trampling on the traditions and rights of the people of Hong Kong.
All channels have to be pursued to secure Simon’s release and reunite him with his family and his freedom.
