AN ELECTION candidate who was stripped of his party’s support just days before he became a councillor has been reinstated by Labour.

Student Ruaridh Bennett, 24, was elected in the Musselburgh East Lothian Council ward on May 5 as an independent.

Just days earlier, Scottish Labour had cut ties with him after a complaint was lodged over historic social media comments he had made.

It related to Twitter posts between 2014 and 2019, which included misogynistic comments and a derogatory post about the Queen.

Following the election, an appeal was made to allow him to represent the party again.

This has now been successful and Mr Bennett has apologised for his comments.

His return to Labour means the party has 10 of the 22 seats on the council.

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It has now formed a minority administration – with Mr Bennett appointed as the council’s deputy spokesperson for environment, economic development and tourism.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, who was named as leader of East Lothian Council on Tuesday at the first meeting of the new council, was pleased to welcome his colleague back into the party.

He said: “The appeal has been carried out by the party.

“Ruaridh has apologised for statements he made when he was young.

“He has given a commitment that he will never do that again now he is an adult and agreed to do some training on how you act in public life. The party has agreed that is what he should do. 

"I feel that he made some statements that were wrong but he was a young lad at the time.”

At Tuesday’s council meeting, Mr Bennett was appointed deputy spokesperson for environment, economic development and tourism.

The role is one of four deputy spokesperson roles handed to new or recently elected Labour councillors by the administration in the new line-up.

Attempts by the Courier to speak to Mr Bennett this week were unsuccessful.