'No more vegans, Buddhists or Greens' after Rangers boss sacked, urges Tory MSP

A Tory MSP has called for “no more vegans, Buddhists or Green Party members” after Rangers sacked their beleaguered head coach.

Murdo Fraser, a well-known supporter of the Ibrox club, celebrated Russell Martin’s departure on X in a series of posts.

The list MSP for mid-Scotland and Fife made the comments after Martin was sacked after just four months in charge.

His tenure is the shortest in the club’s history and will go down as a major failure early in the stewardship of its new American owners.

Sport

Russell Martin sacked as Rangers head coach after four months in charge at Ibrox

The head coach has been removed from his position after a 1-1 draw at Falkirk on Sunday.

Fraser’s post appears to reference Martin, who is a vegan and had previously told The Guardian in 2018 that he supported the Green Party.

The comments have been criticised by some on social media as discriminatory and demonstrating “religious intolerance”.

Christina Cannon, an SNP councillor in Glasgow, said: “This is a strange Tweet for an MSP”.

A Green party spokesperson accused Fraser of sending an “irresponsible message”.

“This is a bizarre and ridiculous outburst, even by the repellent and undignified standards of Murdo Fraser,” the spokesperson said.

“It is divisive and discriminatory and suggests Buddhists, vegans and Green supporters are not welcome around him – which is a pretty irresponsible message to be sending.

“If Rangers are to turn things around then the last person they should be taking lessons from is Murdo Fraser who represents a collapsing party and a worldview that is stuck firmly in the past.”

A spokesman for Fraser said: “This was obviously a joke.”