SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: Monteith is claimed to have made comments about the former First Minister’s teeth after rumours of her nickname circulated in Holyrood.
Nicola Sturgeon on BBC Breakfast
Former Tory MSP and Brexit spin doctor Brian Monteith was among the MSPs making jibes about the Nicola Sturgeon ‘Gnasher’ rumour it is claimed.
Sources told the Sunday Mail Monteith was “the most prominent” of those remarking on the nickname in the Holyrood corridors during Sturgeon ’s first term.
The former First Minister revealed in her memoir that she ended up crying in the toilet after learning of a derogatory rumour about her injuring a former boyfriend.
Scotland’s former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon poses with her memoir “Frankly” at the Edinburgh International Book Festival(Image: Getty Images)
The gossip led to her being referred to as ‘Gnasher’ by some in parliament and the media, with Sturgeon revealing an MSP repeatedly made reference to the nickname, her teeth and dentists when she was around.
A former journalist who covered parliament at the time and was based at Holyrood said: “Monteith was the most prominent MSP I remember who was saying things about this rumour and seemed to enjoy making remarks about Sturgeon’s teeth and mouth.
“Most people would accept he was quite aggressive as a politician and I can see why Sturgeon could have felt intimidated or bullied by him.
“At the time I think many people just took the comments as the nature of politics even if it was a particularly disgusting rumour, but looking back on it it was sexist and wrong.”
Brian Monteith(Image: PA)
Several former MSPs said they also recalled Monteith mentioning the rumour in parliament or commenting on Sturgeon’s teeth.
Monteith was the MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife between 1999 and 2007. In 2005 he was ousted from the Tories after plotting the downfall of then-leader David McLetchie, who he referred to as “The Letch”.
He later went to work as a spin doctor for Nigel Farage’s Leave.EU campaign and became a Member of the European Parliament for the Brexit Party in 2019.
In her book Sturgeon wrote of an unnamed MSP: “I was subjected to some nasty bullying by a male MSP of another party.
“At some stage over this first term in Parliament he started calling me ‘Gnasher’ both to other people and occasionally to my face. Whether he was the instigator of the story or just enjoyed referencing it to make me feel uncomfortable I don’t know.
“His behaviour got steadily worse. He would often make ‘jokes’ about teeth or dentists when I was within earshot. He seemed to revel in my discomfort and I became quite scared of him.”
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Sturgeon said she chose not to identify the MSP who bullied her, concerned about the “backlash he might whip up against me”.
A trawl of Holyrood’s official report from the first term of the Scottish Parliament shows Monteith was the only MSP who commented publicly on Sturgeon’s teeth. During an education debate on September 30, 1999, in which there had been no mention of teeth previously, Monteith said: “Nicola Sturgeon may have perfect teeth, but she does not give me the ring of confidence when it comes to education policy.”
MSP Fiona Hyslop immediately interjected and asked if he would say the same thing “about a male member of this chamber”
Monteith replied: “Yes—if the SNP passes the brief to a male member, I would be happy to make that statement in the future. I say that as someone who does not have perfect teeth.”
Lib Dem MSP Jamie Stone said that the session was turning into a “dental debate”.
Stone said he remembered Monteith’s comments at the time and that they caused “quite an uproar, particularly with female MSPs in the chamber.”
Sturgeon ally and former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: “This was appalling behaviour by Monteith. It is not acceptable, offensive and bullying.
“We rightly call out all forms of abuse and it is the case that attacks on women in public life seem to be more prevalent than those on men. He should have been called to account.
“There is no place for such behaviour in our public life. We ought to think of those who can be traumatised by such unacceptable behaviour.”
A spokeswoman for Sturgeon said she would be making no further comment other than what is in her book.
Monteith did not respond to multiple requests for comment.