A CONSERVATIVE councillor caught up in a racism row has been expelled from the party after photos emerged showing he was previously a BNP activist.
Stephen Goldsack was pictured holding up the BNP manifesto, and was even listed as “Scottish security adviser” for the party in 2011.
He has represented the Stepps, Chryston and Muirhead ward on North Lanarkshire Council for the Scottish Tories since May last year.
A party spokesman said: “Cllr Goldsack’s membership of the Scottish Conservative party has been rescinded, an action we took immediately after learning of this past affiliation.”
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Mr Goldsack was recently accused of making “discriminatory” comments about Muslims over a planning application for a mosque.
He allegedly told a council planning meeting “we can’t give more access to these people,” before adding: “If it was Church of Scotland, it would be OK.”
But the councillor insisted he is not racist and claimed his objection to the mosque stemmed from neighbours' complaints and recent disorder outside the property.
He told The National newspaper that the phrase “these people” was directed towards individuals, and not Muslims in general.
North Lanarkshire SNP councillor Danish Ashraf said it was “absolutely right that Mr Goldsack has been kicked out of the Tories”.
He added: “But the questions don’t stop there – how was a man with a past in the BNP welcomed into the Tories?
“Did Ruth Davidson, or anyone else in the party, know about his past? Ms Davidson presides over a party with an embarrassing litany of councillors and candidates with disturbing and extremist views.
“It is way past time that she cleaned up her party – she has a personal duty to deal with the extremism scandal at the heart of the Scottish Tories.”
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Yesterday images from an old BNP Scotland website emerged showing Mr Goldsack holding the party’s manifesto and wearing a BNP rosette.
One blog post, dated April 2011, read: “We are happy to announce the appointment of Steve Goldsack to the role of Scottish security adviser. Steve has worked in security when living in Belfast and is the son of a police inspector.”
Mr Goldsack did not respond to requests for comment.
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