An Edinburgh Green Party councillor has been told to "check his privilege" after he incorrectly labelled a Conservative mixed-race councillor as "a white man".
At a full council meeting on Thursday (February 10), Alex Staniforth slammed a motion tabled by the Tory's Nick Cook condemning remarks made on twitter recently by Sir Geoffrey Palmer, who is leading the council's Slavery and Colonialism Review.
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Prof. Palmer described two academics as “an academic racist gang” after they suggested in an article in the Spectator that the review into the capital's historic links with the slave trade and the wealth it brought to the city risked being “historically superficial”.
Cllr Cook's motion called on the council to 'note some concerns that have been raised relating to the conduct of the review' and write to Professor Palmer to remind him of the 'code of conduct for councillors and members of devolved public bodies'.
He said: "I'm deeply concerned that if the comments of Sir Geoff Palmer do not go unchecked or unnoticed by this authority that we further tarnish the City of Edinburgh Council's reputation."
The Green's Alex Staniforth called the motion 'absolutely unacceptable'.
"This motion displays a startling lack of self awareness for a white man to put forward a motion rather patronisingly ticking off an independent committee and its chair on slavery and colonialism," Cllr Staniforth said. "It leaves me agog."
Councillor Cook, who in fact comes from a mixed-race background, replied: "I just wanted to call out Councillor Staniforth, to use a phrase I first learnt from his colleague Councillor Claire Miller, perhaps Councillor Staniforth might want to check his privilege next time he interjects in a debate and makes all sorts of assumptions.
"I've spoken at length and indeed taken an interest in the Edinburgh Colonialism and Slavery Review partly because of my background which I've spoken of in this chamber on numerous occasions and also in committee when we've been discussing this, which he obviously just hasn't bothered to pay attention to.
"Obviously he's paid attention enough to pipe up and think he's making a very rather clever point which is quite far off the mark and leaves him looking a little bit silly."
