A POPULAR pro-independence Twitter account has issued an update after its account was suddenly deactivated.
MSM Monitor, which had around 38,000 followers, tweets from the handle @msm_monitor and was known for highlighting perceived bias in the media.
Many Twitter users noticed the account had disappeared on Wednesday evening despite tweeting earlier in the day.
In a thread posted on Thursday morning, it was explained that the account had been deactivated and that followers “deserve an explanation”.
A thread from MSM Monitor read: “Over the course of the SNP leadership contest we’ve detected a rather poisonous tone amongst some Yessers on Twitter. Many appear to have developed a pathological loathing towards one or other of the two main contenders.
Yesterday we de-activated our account. We gave no notice. Followers deserve an explanation. Here it is. THREAD 1-6
— MSM Monitor (@msm_monitor) March 16, 2023
“No, not concerns about policy or suitability, but actual loathing. Kate Forbes is a right-wing bigot, young voters will desert the party if she wins. Humza Yousaf is an inept compulsive liar; the electorate don’t like him.
“Kate isn’t a right-wing bigot. Nobody knows how young people will react to her as FM. Similarly, Humza isn’t an inept liar. Nobody knows how popular he’ll be as FM. Our sense is that this tribal loathing is growing on Twitter as people become more entrenched.”
The thread went on to explain that the account would remain “live but dormant” until the SNP leadership race is over.
“Our hope is the toxicity, and lack of judgement, the contest has generated will subside. That folk come together again, get behind whoever wins and get back to arguing the case for independence.
“If not, then we’ll quietly de-activate the account for good and wish you all good luck. The upside of that will be that we’ll no longer have to monitor BBC Scotland output. So let’s see what happens after the contest.”
The race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon remains ongoing with Kate Forbes and Ash Regan calling for independent auditors to oversee the voting process amid calls for the SNP to publish details on its membership.
