A LOCAL political artist has taken his newest work to Cumnock town centre to campaign against ‘slave labour’ measures introduced by the government - by comparing Tories to Nazi's Unemployed Auchinleck artist, Brian Carey, is well known locally for his well timed and topical protests and last week he took his protest to Cumnock Jobcentre - dressed in a high visibility vest with a SWASTIKA spread across the back.

Carey started his controversial protest after he was due to start a government endorsed Community Work Placement (CWP) - a programme for benefits claimants whose lack of work experience may be holding them back from finding a job.

The CWP involves unemployed benefits claimers taking part in a work placement that will also benefit the local community. Placements can last up to six months for 30 hours a week.

Claimants who refuse CWP’s can have their benefits cut.

Carey refused to carry out the CWP and now faces having his payments stopped.

As a result, he put his artistic mind to use and created new slogans which he plastered on the railings at the Boswell Centre in Auchinleck and at Cumnock Jobcentre.

In Auchinleck his work declared ‘David Cameron and Hitlers SS passed laws to enforce slave labour one process for jews the other for the unemployed’ whilst in Cumnock it read ‘Campaign against the CWP programme’.

The controversial creator marched in to the Jobcentre with his swastika adorned vest which very nearly got him arrested.

The vexed artist said: “They asked what I was protesting about and I said it was about the community work programme. I was due to start that last week, but I told them I wasn’t doing it.

“This is like what the Nazi’s brought out for the jews eighty years ago, slave labour.

“Because I had the high vis vest with a swastika on it they told me that I was breaching the peace and that they could arrest me. As far as I’m aware I wasn’t breaking any laws, but I ended up turning the vest inside out. I said I was comparing David Cameron to Hitler. They said they would arrest me but they didn’t. As long as I didn’t out the slogan across council railings and just put them on the pavement they couldn’t arrest me.” He now plans to continue his protest over the coming weeks.