Church minister who heckled Jeremy Corbyn suspended over social media posts

15 November 2019, 13:28

Jeremy Corbyn was heckled during a visit to a community centre in Glasgow
Jeremy Corbyn was heckled during a visit to a community centre in Glasgow. Picture: PA

By Asher McShane

A minister who heckled Jeremy Corbyn has been suspended by the church.

The Church of Scotland announced today that Rev Richard Cameron had been “administratively suspended” while an enquiry is carried out.

Rev Cameron heckled Jeremy Corbyn, and it later emerged that he had made Islamophobic and homophobic comments on Twitter.

A Church of Scotland spokesman said in a statement: “In accordance with our procedures Rev Richard Cameron has been administratively suspended.

"This is to allow us to carry out an enquiry in relation to the incident which took place earlier this week and the subsequent complaints about his social media use.”

During the visit to Glasgow on Wednesday, he was branded a “terrorist sympathiser” by Rev Cameron and was asked why he wasn’t wearing an “Islamic jihad scarf” during a visit to a community centre.

The Labour leader was also asked “who’s going to be the first terrorist invited to the House of Commons when you’re Prime Minister” during the visit in Glasgow.

Richard Cameron, the minister at Scotstoun Parish Church, shouted: "I thought you'd be wearing your Islamic jihad scarf.

"Do you think that the man who is going to be prime minister of this country should be a terrorist sympathiser, Mr Corbyn?

"Who's going to be the first terrorist invited to the House of Commons when you're prime minister?"

Mr Corbyn did not react to Mr Cameron, and was then ushered into the community centre by Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard.

Mr Cameron then accused Mr Corbyn of "running away".

This story is being updated