TORY candidate for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Kathleen Leslie has been struck off the teaching register for making offensive comments about First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on social media, it emerged yesterday.

Ms Leslie made the comments ahead of Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum, tweeting of the then deputy first minister: “Wee Jimmie Krankie is a drooling hag. She’s a walking horror show.”

She also tweeted: “That wee fish wife was there?! At taxpayer expense no doubt. Feel sorry for poor bugger sat next to her grim face.”

Meanwhile, following the lottery-winning Weir family’s donation to the pro-independence campaign, Ms Leslie described them as “uneducated fat f******.”

At the time, Ms Leslie waived her right to a full hearing following a complaint to the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) as she no longer wished to continue teaching following her election to Fife Council. 

The GTCS barred her from returning to the profession for two years. 

Criticism of Ms Leslie follows the discovery of a social media post by Gower Tory candidate Francesca O’Brien in which she suggested that participants on Channel 4 programme Benefits Street “need putting down.”

An SNP spokesperson said of Ms Leslie’s selection: “It is beyond belief that the Tories think someone struck off the teachers’ register is suitable to stand for [election as] an MP.

“We know the Tories have questionable taste in candidates, but they’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel.”

The Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath seat is currently held by Labour’s Lesley Laird, with the SNP coming in second ahead of the Tories at the last election. 

A Scottish Tory spokesman said: “Kathleen has apologised for the comments she made. She has a great record as a local councillor in Fife and has the party’s full support.”

The scandal comes as Scotland’s election race heats up, with Ms Sturgeon demanding to be included in leaders’ TV debates. 

Responding to the announcement of ITV’s head-to-head debate between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Ms Sturgeon said on the campaign trail in Rutherglen that Britain’s leaders were “running scared of meaningful debate.”

She insisted: “I’ll debate one of them, I’ll debate both of them, any time, anywhere.”