The SNP’s broken complaints process has caused “increased injustice and harm” to some of its members and must be overhauled, the party has said.

A leaked report being discussed in private at the SNP conference today says the system is “inaccessible” and “lacking the transparency and fairness… our party needs”.

It says that, while there are “pockets of good practice”, not enough has been done to improve it and further inaction “would be disastrous for the party”.

It confirms members have expressed “considerable concern” about the complaints process and there is a need to deal with a “backlog” of cases.

Written by SNP President Mike Russell and National Secretary Lorna Finn, the report calls for a new system to be created, including referrals to the police if necessary.

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In recent years, the SNP has been hit by several high-profile sexual harassment scandals where victims complained of being let down by the party leadership and SNP HQ.

SNP MP Patrick Grady was found to have pestered a young male staffer and Jordan Linden quit as leader of North Lanarkshire Council after multiple disputed complaints against him.

When former SNP MP Dr Lisa Cameron defected to the Tories last week, she said the poor treatment of Mr Grady’s victim and the “toxic” culture in the Westminster SNP were factors.

SNP MP Joanna Cherry KC has also repeatedly highlighted the party’s failure to deal with the bullying and abuse directed at her because of her gender-critical beliefs.

When Humza Yousaf became SNP leader after Nicola Sturgeon in the spring, he ordered a transparency and governance review to address the party’s money and management issues.

A report going to delegates in a private session this afternoon sets out the findings of that exercise and recommends a series of sweeping changes.

It admits many problems are a result of the SNP failing to respond to its membership increasing five-fold after the No result in the 2014 independence referendum.

It identifies “pressure caused by a huge increase in membership in 2014/15 and a failure to match this with the structural change needed to serve a mass member organisation. 

“In recent years the party has developed, what at times can appear to be a top-down culture, which whilst producing very effective campaigns and electoral victories, has failed to meet members’ expectations and needs and, increasingly, failed to measure up to contemporary best practice governance.”

The references to “top-down culture” and a lack of best practice appear to be about the dominance of Ms Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive.

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The report recommends changes to “issues of party culture”, including “more transparent decision-making”; new common rules across the party for discipline, complaints and staff terms and conditions; and revising the party’s constitution to increase transparency.

It admits the committee set up by Mr Yousaf to reform the party’s operation “is aware of the considerable concern expressed by members with regards to the operation of the existing complaints and disciplinary procedures.

“Considerable improvements to these procedures have been made by the current National Secretary, but the question of the backlog of complaints remains unanswered.

“The committee believes that the NEC [the SNP’s ruling body] should agree a solution to this at an early date and expects that, once the backlog is removed and the operation of the system is on a new footing, this will be in the best interests of individual complainants, party discipline and the SNP as a whole.”



 

Outlining changes to create a “transparent and objective complaints process”, the report says a previous Governance review in 2021 “made a good start… but the current risk remains that many recommendations were not enacted”. 

It goes on: “At this stage, the assessment of any political and ethical risk is one of inaction. To do nothing at this time would be disastrous for the party. 

“The Governance Review noted that real dissatisfaction of the complaints process itself has exacerbated issues and led to ‘increased injustice and harm’ to some members. 

“A few changes have been made; the complaints officer at HQ has been a good result. “Ultimately, however, our complaints process remains inaccessible, lacking the transparency and fairness that our party needs to have.”

Mr Russell and Ms Finn’s report recommends “a clear, robust and accessible complaints process”, as this “simply does not exist within the current structures of the party and is required urgently”. 

It goes on: “This process should be clear, rights based and trauma informed, and offer individuals confidence in a process that has a defined process with clear timescales towards resolution.”

It should “ensure there is clarity and guidance to indicate complaints that fall under the jurisdiction of the SNP and those that may fall under the jurisdiction of other bodies. “Complaints of a criminal nature should for example be reported to the police.”

The report recommends that for particularly complex or sensitive cases the SNP should  “seek specialist advice and guidance, including as a minimum, when required legal advice”.

There should also be an offer of “support for victims of bullying and harassment”.

The SNP has been asked for comment.