The Labour Party has suspended Andy Brown, who is running as a candidate for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, following his sharing of “pro-Russian” material on social media.
In April 2018, Brown posted an article from the Russian state media outlet RT. The article claimed that the Novichok nerve agent used in the Salisbury poisonings was “never produced in Russia” but was instead deployed by the US, UK, and NATO countries.
The Salisbury poisonings involved a high-profile attack targeting former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia Skripal, and ex-police officer Nick Bailey. All three survived the nerve agent assault. However, Dawn Sturgess later died after being exposed to Novichok found in a discarded perfume bottle in Amesbury, Wiltshire, in July 2018.
In addition to the pro-Russian article, Brown also shared a quote from a Jewish historian. This action stirred fresh tensions within the Labour Party regarding Palestinian rights, a sensitive and divisive issue within the party.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves expressed support for Brown’s suspension, emphasizing Labour’s zero tolerance policy for actions that compromise party standards.
Although Brown remains on the election ballot, he will do so without official Labour Party backing, as the nomination deadline has already passed.
Originally published by UKNIP.
