Candidate dropped by Scottish Tories after food bank comments

The Scottish Conservatives say Craig Ross is no longer a member of the party or a candidate for Glasgow Pollok following “unacceptable” comments about food bank users.

Ross was suspended from the party earlier on Friday after saying people who use them are at a bigger risk of getting diabetes than starvation.

He also took aim at Manchester United star Marcus Rashford over the footballer’s free school meals campaign in a recently released podcast, the Daily Record reported.

Ross, who was a Scottish Conservative candidate for the Glasgow Pollok constituency, said: “In this world of such tremendous hunger, in this world where people are routinely struggling to eat, in this world where people appear on Channel 4 News and talk about how their children eat but they don’t because they can’t afford to … almost everybody in that world is grossly overweight.

“And again people can’t accept this. People have no idea how fat they are.

“If anything, their biggest risk is not starvation, it’s diabetes.”

His party released a statement confirming Ross is no longer a party member, nor will he be standing for the Scottish Conservatives in May’s elections to the Scottish Parliament.

Earlier on Friday, a party spokesman said: “These unacceptable comments do not reflect the views of the party.”

On England forward Rashford’s campaign to feed poor children, Ross said: “Has Marcus Rashford stood for election to anything? Not that I’m aware of.

“So should we turn our welfare policy upside down in order to suit Rashford’s view as to what would be decent?”

The SNP’s justice secretary Humza Yousaf also hit out at the comments and said Ross should be expelled from the Scottish Conservatives.

Posting on social media he said: “The Tories must kick Craig Ross, their candidate for Glasgow Pollok, out of their party.

“This man is not just heartless but a complete disgrace who has probably never spoken to a foodbank user in his life.

“I have supported the many foodbanks in my constituency over the years, and while we are ashamed that they are needed because of Tory austerity, I support the incredible work they do.

“Tories can’t just suspend him, he must be expelled from the party.”