By Harry Farley, BBC News Political Correspondent
Labour has suspended one of its candidates after reports he shared “pro-Russian” material online.
Andy Brown, who is standing in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, also shared a post that appeared to downplay allegations of antisemitism against Labour, as first reported by the Press and Journal.
A Labour spokesperson said he had been suspended pending an investigation.
Weeks after the Salisbury poisonings Mr Brown shared an article on social media in April 2018 from the Russian state media outlet RT. It claimed the “toxin” used in the Salisbury poisonings was “never produced in Russia, but was in service in the US, UK, and other NATO states”.
Separately in April 2018 he also shared a quote from a Jewish historian that said “the real issue… is that right-wing Jews in the Labour party and outside the party object to the fact that Jeremy Corbyn is a consistent supporter of Palestinian rights”.
A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: “Andy Brown has been administratively suspended from the Labour Party pending investigation. We have taken the decision to withdraw support from a parliamentary candidate during a General Election.
“Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer have changed the Labour Party and said that every candidate and MP would operate to the highest standards. This action shows that they meant it.”
The deadline for political nominations has closed. That means Mr Brown will still appear next to the Labour logo on the ballot paper on 4 July but will stand as an independent if elected.
The Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross is also a candidate in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East as well as the SNP’s Seamus Logan.
The Liberal Democrat candidate is Ian Bailey and Jo Hart is standing for Reform UK.
The election candidate ditched by the Labour Party for pro-Russian social media posts has stood for the party several times.
Andy Brown, described as a “local legend” by Labour supporters in Aberdeenshire, was a candidate in the Scottish Parliament election in 2021, and the council elections in 2022, as well as a council by-election.
Each of those contests took place after he made the social media posts which have now landed him in bother.
Despite being suspended pending an investigation Mr Brown’s name will still appear next to a Scottish Labour logo on the ballot paper.
But the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat was never going to be a Labour victory.
This is very much a two horse race between the Conservatives and the SNP. This is a new constituency following boundary changes, but calculations based on previous results in the area suggest Labour polled just over 4%.
