Reform UK general election candidate claimed Nicola Sturgeon should be 'shot' in vile outburst

A Reform UK candidate suggested Nicola Sturgeon should be "shot" in a vile outburst on social media.

Robert Smith, the right-wing party's candidate in Orkney and Shetland, called the former first minister a "bitch" in a social media post in 2016.

He said: “Since the great David Attenborough legitimised calls for political leaders to be shot, why not start with this bitch?”

He was referring to comments made by Attenborough in which he said about Donald Trump: “We could shoot him, it’s not a bad idea.”

Smith also called JK Rowling a "wild bitch" in response to one of her 2020 social media posts.

These posts were part of wider attacks on women.

He called European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde the “head bitch of the globalists”.

He added the rainbow symbol used in support of the NHS during lockdowns was “the new swastika”.

Smith referred to EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen as a “silly bitch” in 2021.

He also called Guy Verhofstadt, European Parliament’s former Brexit boss, and former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell “c***s”.

Reform UK chairman Richard Tice told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Tuesday: “I haven’t seen those [comments], but obviously appalling, absolutely appalling.

“I’m very clear, we’re a new political party, we’re growing fast. Of course, like anybody, we make mistakes, but we move on and we change and we learn from them. That’s what we’re doing. And people have been recognising that.

“People actually appreciate that there’s a new party out there that is telling it as it is, with some common sense policies, ambitious policies to make work pay, to get to zero waiting lists, to have smart immigration not mass immigration, to have proper law and order on the streets.

“And guess what, that’s why we’re growing in popularity, because we’re prepared to talk about these things.”

To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here