University Of Aberdeen

That the Parliament notes with grave concern the reported social media comments made by a member of staff at the University of Aberdeen, in response to the tragic death of Ann Widdecombe, including the statements “I hope it was an extremely painful death” and “I hope she was handcuffed to the bed as she screamed in agony”; notes the public outrage and the change.org/petition calling for a review of these remarks, which has gathered thousands of signatures; believes that such comments wishing extreme pain and suffering on individuals have no place in a civilised society and are completely unacceptable from staff at a publicly funded university; acknowledges the University of Aberdeen’s statement that it is reviewing the matter as a priority but urges swift and decisive action, including full transparency on the outcome; believes that publicly funded institutions must uphold the highest standards of decency, respect and professional conduct at all times, and calls on the Scottish Government and all of Scotland's universities to review and strengthen policies on staff conduct, hate speech and incitement to ensure public confidence in higher education.