A LOCAL Conservative candidate has apologised after making comments in regards to an opponent’s nationality online. 

Todd Ferguson, candidate for the Dalry and West Kilbride ward claimed online that SNP rival Joy Brahim supported the break up of the UK because her husband was Scottish and then made reference to Market Garden, a military operation in the Netherlands, where Ms Brahim hails from. 

She hit out at her Tory counterpart and told the Herald: “It is disappointing that Mr Ferguson believes that being born outside Scotland, I should not be standing for election - particularly as I have spent the past seven years living and working in Scotland while he chose to spend his entire adult life in Australia.

“Does his xenophobic outlook apply to those born in England, Wales and Ireland too?

“What’s more, in order to make his point he not only lied about a conversation we had; because I am Dutch he saw it fit to ‘remind’ me of Operation Market Garden including a photograph of WWII soldiers, which I believe is utterly offensive.

“The fact that Mr Ferguson is one out of seven Tory candidates across Scotland recently getting caught up in xenophobic and disrespectful comments and Tory leader Ruth Davidson has done nothing to reprimand him, just confirms that this is what the Conservative Party is all about.

“If elected my sole focus is on representing all the people of Dalry and West Kilbride Ward, regardless of where they were born.”

Mr Ferguson said: “I have apologised for any offence caused and deleted the post in question.”