Jane Lax suspended after Sturgeon tweet
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THE honorary treasurer of the Moray Conservatives has been suspended by the party after a tweet about Nicola Sturgeon.
Jane Lax's comment related to a miscarriage Ms Sturgeon suffered in 2011, which the First Minister has since spoken about publicly and addressed in a book.
The First Minister recently detailed some of the abuse she received online, and this was shared by a Twitter account which commented on Wednesday night: "The GERS (Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland) figures must be imminent".
Another account responded: "Has she mentioned her fictional miscarriage yet?", before Mrs Lax added, "is that when she dropped a book?".
That is seemingly a reference to Ms Sturgeon's book, released in 2016, in which she discussed her miscarriage five years earlier.
Mrs Lax has been suspended by the Conservatives pending an investigation. The SNP in Moray, meanwhile, have said they expect a public apology for the "offensive" tweet.
A statement from the SNP read: "Moray SNP is appalled by the personal and deeply offensive comments made against Nicola Sturgeon by the Moray Conservatives honorary treasurer Jane Lax.
"In public life, politicians can expect criticism around policy-making decisions but these comments go much further.
"To poke 'fun' at a deeply personal and traumatic event in the First Minister's private life represents a new low for the Conservatives in Moray.
"It calls into question the processes which allow someone with such extreme views to hold office in the Moray Conservative Party. We look forward to a full public apology from and appropriate sanction against Jane Lax."
The Moray Conservatives chairman Neil McLeod confirmed Mrs Lax has been suspended.
He said: "My understanding is that an investigation will take place and, in the meantime, Mrs Lax will be suspended as a member."
Despite attempts, Mrs Lax has not been available for comment.
