Twitter troll Angus councillor Derek Wann is throwing his hat back in the ring for the Scottish Conservatives at May’s council elections.
He was unmasked by The Courier last summer as the figure behind an anti-SNP social media account.
There had been doubts over whether party chiefs would allow him to run for re-election.
But the 49-year-old businessman has been selected to stand and is back on the campaign trail.
Mr Wann is bidding to stay in the three-member Arbroath ward he has represented since 2017.
He used his own Twitter profile to announce at the weekend: “Last of my leaflets delivered in Arbroath East and Lunan.”
Denials
He repeatedly denied running the (Lady Whistledown) AngusFreeofSNP profile.
It targeted abuse at local and national politicians as well as mocking Dundee’s tragic drugs record.
Other posts included a description of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as the “Bute House Golem”.
And former General Election candidate Mr Wann even used it to question Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross’s leadership.
But he then confessed to being behind the account under the nom-de-plume of a character in the hit Netflix series Bridgerton.
He admitted his actions had been “unacceptable”.
Council crisis
The scandal-hit senior figure in the Angus Tory/Independent administration stepped down from the children and learning committee he chaired.
But there was anger Mr Wann clung on to his role in the ruling group.
And administration colleagues were criticised for appearing to condone his behaviour by failing to speak out against it.
Days after the Lady Whistledown scandal was revealed, Conservative Forfar councillor Braden Davy was caught up in a second social media fiasco.
He operated a Facebook account which broke the rules by encouraging tactical voting in the Scottish elections.
Mr Davy resigned from the administration. He is not standing for re-election.
‘Slap on the wrist’
In December, Mr Wann was cleared by party bosses to stand again.
He was made to attend “social media training” but escaped further sanctions from the Scottish Conservatives.
SNP MSP Joe Fitzpatrick said the Angus councillor had received only a “slap on the wrist”.
At that time, Mr Wann did not confirm whether he would be seeking re-election to the council, saying the selection process was “pretty lengthy”.
But he told The Courier it would be the “first to know” if he was running again.
Mr Wann locked his personal @anguscampaigner Twitter profile following the Lady Whistledown affair.
However, on Sunday, he used it to post the tweet highlighting his campaign leaflet and saying they had all now been delivered.
He has made little comment in the wake of the scandal which plunged the coalition administration into crisis.
‘Strong voices’
But after Scottish Conservative chiefs confirmed his re-selection he said: “Angus needs strong voices who will argue for a better deal on behalf of our residents.
“The journey of recovery from Covid needs us all to focus on rebuilding our economy and making the most of our fantastic local resources.
I will continue to speak up for Angus because there has never been a greater need for it.
“I can look back on a lot of good which I’ve helped achieve in the last five years – saving Seaton Grove, driving the Holiday Fun initiative at local schools, and improving the West Links for the benefit of everyone.
“Now the council has finished the new Hayshead/St Thomas School, the old St Thomas needs to find a use that benefits the community and that is of particular interest to me.
“The last administration did our best to protect vital public services which are routinely underfunded by the Scottish Government, and have kept council tax at the second lowest rate in mainland Scotland.
“Our services are the day-to-day things of which the public expect a high standard and we are committed to maintaining that.
“The next council must also stand up against the punitive Workplace Parking Levy now being progressed through the Scottish Parliament, which is a regressive tax on workers and their families.”
