Labour social media adviser quits over Hitler YouTube video

Labour MP Tom Harris has been forced to step down from his social media adviser role after posting a YouTube spoof video that compared the First Minister of Scotland and Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Alex Salmond to Hitler.

The Scottish Labour Party (SLP) had asked Harris to write a report on social media, which the party could use to "make a difference" in Scotland, but this will no longer happen, an SLP spokesman told V3.

In a statement, the SNP described the video as a "tasteless" move by the Labour party.

The video used footage from Downfall, a film about the final 12 days of Hitler's life in Nazi Germany, along with subtitles that Harris added to mock Salmond's secrecy over the referendum.

SNP member Joan McAlpine was also mocked in the video for comments made last week, suggesting that all political parties apart from the SNP are "anti-Scottish".

Harris apologised for the video in a statement, but said it was meant to be a joke.

"The video I posted has been a well-worn joke used to parody a range of public figures. However, context is everything," said Harris.

"[In] the context of Joan McAlpine's much more serious statements about all political opponents of the SNP being anti-Scottish, my actions have been an unhelpful distraction for which I apologise."

Harris maintained a rare distance from Twitter on Tuesday as the scandal circulated the web