'Anti-English' border protest was 'inspired' by SNP leaders

Nationalists condemned as ‘racist’ by Nicola Sturgeon after they descended on the Scottish border to urge visitors from England to stay away were “inspired” by SNP leaders, an organiser of the protest has admitted.

Ian McNeil said that he believed he had been echoing messages from the top of the party at the event, in which protesters claimed they were “protecting the border” against higher levels of Covid-19 infections in England by urging tourists to “staycation in your own nation”.

The Scottish Conservatives said the admission showed that senior SNP politicians “deliberately stoking up divisive rhetoric” had encouraged the “racist fringes” of their party.

Meanwhile, the SNP came under further pressure to launch an investigation after pictures emerged of participants posing with senior SNP politicians, including Ms Sturgeon.

Mr McNeil told The National, a pro-independence Scottish newspaper: “For some weeks now the locals up north, including one SNP leader, have tried to discourage tourists from holidaying here until further notice… that’s what the demo was all about.”

Although Mr McNeil did not make clear which leader he was referring to, or respond to requests for clarification, Ian Blackford, the SNP’s Westminster leader, shared a mocked-up picture of a Scottish border sign online in May which stated: “We’re shut. F*** off.”

Mr Blackford, a Highland MP, added the comment: “Perhaps not the language I would use but for some folk perhaps it needs to be blunt before they get it!”

Both Ms Sturgeon and Mr Blackford have also repeatedly refused to rule out imposing quarantine restrictions on people travelling to Scotland from England on public health grounds, a suggestion condemned as “astonishing and shameful” by Boris Johnson.

Annie Wells, the deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: “This proves the point that, by deliberately stoking up divisive rhetoric, SNP leaders encourage the racist fringes of the party.

“One of the orchestrators of this despicable stunt is effectively saying they were inspired by Ian Blackford’s words.

“It’s bad enough that it took 48 hours for Nicola Sturgeon to grudgingly condemn this racist behaviour.

“But the fact these individuals are taking their lead from SNP leadership should be a matter of real shame for the party.”

Photos have emerged of Mr McNeil posing with Ms Sturgeon as well as Keith Brown, the SNP deputy leader, and he has shared images that suggest he has attended SNP conferences. Another participant, Cliff Serbie, has also been pictured with Ms Sturgeon and is believed to be an SNP member.

The First Minister said she agreed with Humza Yousaf, her Justice Secretary, who suggested the protests were “racist”, something the protesters deny. When challenged over the presence of SNP banners at the protest, Ms Sturgeon said “I can’t stop people waving SNP flags”.

An spokeswoman for Ian Blackford said: "Mr Blackford has consistently made it clear that tourists would be warmly welcomed when it is safe to do so. He has represented Scotland's rural communities and tourism sector by raising their concerns about people travelling during the lockdown."