A CANDIDATE deemed “high quality” by Scottish Labour has been ditched for “unacceptable” pro-Russian social media posts made in 2018.

Andy Brown was selected as the Scottish Labour candidate for Aberdeen North and Moray East after having passed the party’s widely criticised “due diligence” checks, which have routinely included searches of social media posts going back a decade and more.

If carried out, the checks failed to find posts from 2018 sharing Russian Today stories claiming the Novichok “toxin” used in attempted murder of Russian spy Sergei Skripal and the murder of Dawn Sturgess, in what became known as the Salisbury poisonings, was “never produced in Russia, but was in service in the US, UK and other Nato states.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called the posts, which came to light in the Press and Journal newspaper, “unacceptable.”

He said: “We’ve taken swift action. New information came to light to us last night and within hours this candidate was suspended pending an investigation.

“I think that’s right thing for us to do.”

Mr Brown will remain on the ballot paper as the Scottish Labour candidate on July 4, but will receive no support from the party.