SNP politician for tweet after Eurovision result

James Newman at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 - Credit: BBC

A senior SNP politician has apologised after claiming that Scotland “hates the UK” after the final vote of the Eurovision song contest saw it come last with nil points.

James Newman’s Embers, the track from the British hopeful, was the only contestant to scored zero points from the jury vote and from the public vote.

The UK is no stranger to the bottom of the Eurovision leaderboard after coming last place in 2019 with Michael Rice’s Bigger Than Us.

But some viewers blamed the UK’s sour relationship with Europe for the poor result.

Rhiannon Spear, a councillor and the SNP’s national women’s convenor, tweeted: “It’s OK Europe we hate the United Kingdom too. Love, Scotland.”

After continuing her criticisms of the UK government, she added: “If this tweet offends you, have a word with yourself.”

But her comments were criticised by pro-Union supporters after the Conservatives accused the remarks of being the latest example of the SNP’s “toxic obsession with division”.

“This is abhorrent language from one of the SNP’s most prominent campaigners and a 2021 election candidate, not to mention chair of Glasgow City Council’s education committee.

“We should be teaching tolerance and inclusion, not hate and division,” said Scottish Conservative chief whip, Stephen Kerr.

Spear later deleted her Twitter account and apologised.

She wrote: “I have now deleted this tweet about the UK’s results in the Eurovision Song Contest, and apologise for any offence caused.”