Aberdeen Councillor Found in Breach of Conduct Over ‘New Scot’ Remark

A ruling has determined that an Aberdeen councillor violated the code of conduct by referring to an opponent as a “New Scot.” Kairin van Sweeden of the SNP directed this comment towards Deena Tissera of Labour during an Aberdeen City Council meeting held in October of the previous year. Ms. Tissera, who was born in Sri Lanka, characterized the comments as “nothing less than racism.” Ms. van Sweeden issued an an apology and voluntarily reported herself to the Ethical Standards Commissioner, which subsequently concluded that she had indeed violated the code of conduct. The Ethical Standards Commissioner stated that although the phrase “New Scot” might not inherently be negative, disrespectful, or racist, Councillor Van Sweeden’s application of the term, given its context, resulted in it being perceived as derogatory or disparaging. This was due to the implication that Ms. Tissera lacked knowledge of specific Scottish or UK policies that had been established for several years. Councillor Van Sweeden suspended her SNP party membership during the investigation into her conduct. Councillor Tissera asserted that the remark “undermined” her professional competence, linking it to her country of birth. The report from the Commissioner has now been forwarded to the Standards Commission for Scotland. Councillor Van Sweeden indicated that she would await further information from the Standards Commission and was not in a position to comment at this time.