Murdo Fraser MSP has asked ‘Cybernats’ to “lay off” handing out abuse on social media to the owner of a Perthshire shop that makes clootie dumplings.
The Scottish Conservative politician was speaking following the horrendous personal abuse aimed at Michelle Maddox, owner of Clootie McToot Dumplings in Abernethy, due to her attending a Christmas Market at 10 Downing Street, when she handed one of her clootie dumplings over to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Many comments on social media were supportive of Michelle’s business, but others said they would no longer buy her products and some even sent her threats.
Commenting, Mr Fraser, who represents the Mid Scotland and Fife region, said: “Targeting a business owner in this way is awful and is absolute nonsense - it just shows how shallow and nasty many of these ‘Cybernats’ are.
“Michelle Maddox was purely down in Downing Street attending a Small Business Saturday event but just because she handed over a clootie dumpling to the Prime Minister she is then subjected to dogs’ abuse on social media.
“It isn’t on and these people should grow up and lay off her.”
Mr Fraser continued: “This has become a common trend these days to either boycott a supermarket or a business because they have had a Union Jack in the shop or on food packaging, or like this, a business owner who had the temerity to visit Downing Street and meet Boris Johnson at an event that wasn’t political.
“It is awful that Michelle has had to put up with this type of abhorrent behaviour on social media and it is something that needs addressed by the SNP Government.”