My campaign to become an SNP MSP was met with aggressive abuse from social media trolls – Angus Robertson

While Angus Robertson found a mostly positive reaction to his decision to seek selection as an SNP candidate, social media also showed its ugly side – something all too familiar to ethnic minorities

Angus Robertson, the SNP’s former Westminster leader, is seeking to become the SNP candidate for Edinburgh Central in next year's Scottish Parliament elections (Picture: Lisa Ferguson)

The power of social media is immense. On Sunday I officially launched my campaign to become selected as the SNP candidate for Edinburgh Central and elected to the Scottish Parliament next year by winning Ruth Davidson’s seat from the Tories. In less than 24 hours more than 150,000 people had watched my launch video through Twitter alone.

My message went far and wide that Edinburgh Central is a key constituency if the SNP is to secure a pro-independence majority in next year’s Scottish Parliament elections. I was able to communicate directly that at present the Tories hold the seat with a tiny 610 majority, and I believe I can win with the support of SNP members and voters of all parties who don’t want to see the area represented by a pro-Brexit MSP.

For people who weren’t already aware, I let them know that I grew up in Edinburgh Central, went to school here and work here, that this is where I live and that I understand the different issues that matter to communities across Edinburgh Central.

Together with a new website which explains that I need SNP members to select me and then voters elect me, I appealed to viewers who want to help elect a hard-working local MSP with high-profile national experience, who will support First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and deliver independence – please support my campaign. Tories are already saying that I am the biggest threat that they face in holding the seat. I hope to prove them right on this occasion.

Thousands of messages, likes and shares have been recorded on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Linked-In with lots of people visiting the campaign website to sign-up, volunteer and donate. It shows the power of positive grassroots campaigning. With the click of a button the postings were sent and available for people to see.

In addition to the overwhelmingly positive feedback sadly there was also aggressive and abusive commentary, mostly from anonymous accounts, trolls and bots. That reflects the extremes sadly found on social media everywhere the world over. It shouldn’t, however, be tolerated.

Some people face particularly insidious abuse, such as Jews, and it has to stop.

The Holocaust Education Trust issued a statement highlighting the failure of Twitter and Instagram to adequately deal with the torrent of antisemitic abuse from a prominent grime artist and joined others in saying enough is enough.

They are right to highlight that “recent weeks have seen people around the world come together to stand up against antisemitism and racism. We will not be divided. It is about time that social media companies live up to the values their users would expect”.

Since yesterday I have joined social media users internationally taking part in a 48-hour walkout on Twitter and Instagram to highlight the inactivity of social media companies. With the hashtag #NoSafeSpaceForJewHate, the message has gone globally to social media platforms that they must act and act decisively. We have come to rely on the benefits of social media: to communicate directly with family, friends, supporters and strangers alike; become informed, share news and views, campaign and organise.

Democracy and tolerant society deserve a positive public dialogue. People are responsible for their own online postings just as social media companies are for hosting them.

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