A senior councilor said he was grabbed by the throat and insulted while delivering his leaflet in the capital this morning.
Shaken Kevin Lang, Lib Dem group leader on Edinburgh City Council, revealed the alleged attack on social media today.
He tweeted that “a man came out of his house, grabbed me by the throat” and “stuffed” the ballot into his shirt while “using all kinds of expletives.”
“I’ve been in politics for a long time so I’m used to screaming, angry people, but today is the first time I’ve been physically attacked,” he tweeted.
“I just went out to deliver the ballot to my councilor when a man came out of his house and grabbed me by the throat and stuffed the ballot into my shirt, using all sorts of profanity as he did so. I’ve obviously reported it to the police.’
He added: “No matter what divides us, this kind of intimidation and abuse of people you disagree with has no place in a free and democratic society.”
Responding to Mr Lang, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said:
“Totally unacceptable. I spoke to Kevin and this was a politically motivated attack by an SNP supporter.
“The person in question can now explain their particular brand of civic and joyous nationalism to Police Scotland.”
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser tweeted: “This is awful. Hope you’re ok @kevin_lang. Politics should be better than this.”
The incident happened in the Dundas Avenue area of South Queensferry at around 11.10am this morning.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We were made aware of an assault on a man in the Dundas Avenue area of South Queensferry which occurred at around 11.10am on Sunday 7 August.
“A 65-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and inquiries are ongoing.”
Add Comment