A FAMILIAR pattern of arrogance, callousness and stunning ineptitude begins to emerge when you inspect the timeline that frames the Patrick Grady harassment case. The incidents, duly admitted by Mr Grady and the SNP leadership, are now the subject of a police investigation to establish whether or not they amounted to criminal behaviour.

The initial incident occurred at the SNP Westminster Group’s Christmas Party in 2016. What has since unfolded illustrates what happens when a political party, mesmerised by delusions of absolute power, thinks that normal rules of decency and accountability don’t apply to them.

If there had been any degree of leadership, humanity or contrition in the party’s response this wretched episode might have been dealt with properly long before now. Nor can any pleas of ignorance be entered by senior party figures in mitigation. This reaches right to the top of the SNP, an organisation that monitors the deeds and thoughts of its elected members to an almost supernatural extent.

Within this structure a hierarchy begins to emerge that governs the extent to which the SNP leadership will defend you in the event of any malfeasance or misstep. This also regulates how quickly the party will throw you overboard when the threat level rises.

Events during that Christmas party six years ago occurred when Angus Robertson was leader of the SNP’s Westminster Group, yet it’s his successor Ian Blackford who has since been tasked with dealing with its consequences. And what a profoundly abject job he’s made of it. It’s simply not credible that Nicola Sturgeon, her husband Peter Murrell (the party chairman), Mr Robertson and the party’s ruling National Executive weren’t also aware of the allegations.

Letters of complaint regarding the treatment of the SNP staffer who was the victim of Mr Grady’s advances were ignored. His basic employment rights, which include being treated with dignity and respect at work, have since been treated with contempt, verging on cruelty. Being railroaded into a meeting with Mr Grady by Mr Blackford – both of whom were many levels senior to him – without any advance notice or representation, breaks just about every protocol that governs employee relations in civilised and mature organisations.

This was bad enough. But as the revelations reached the national press and became the subject of scrutiny at Holyrood a barely concealed whispering campaign has accompanied them, designed to undermine the credibility of the young complainer.

The recording of Ian Blackford’s address to his Westminster colleagues, in which he demanded full support for Mr Grady, simply confirmed what some of us already knew about this group: that they are a deeply unpleasant and malevolent outfit. They are dominated by a powerful coterie of bullies who operate in the knowledge that they enjoy the privilege and patronage of Nicola Sturgeon. Their activities are designed to convey a brutal message: keep your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you.

There are good men and women in the Westminster group, but having seen the way in which Joanna Cherry and a handful of others have been treated by Mr Blackford and his favoured lackeys they’ve been cowed into silence.

Ms Cherry has been publicly humiliated by her bosses and those of her colleagues who know that their continued intimidation towards her will find favour within the party leadership and the ruling NEC. She is one of scores of women whose complaints about physical threats by fellow SNP members continue to be ignored by party headquarters.

To the long list of iniquities which have pervaded the SNP leadership’s actions in this squalid interlude can be added rank hypocrisy. While it’s all been seeping forth, Boris Johnson and his regime at Westminster have provided countless illustrations of delinquency. Ms Sturgeon and Mr Blackford have exploited them to claim a moral ascendancy.

Prime among them is the claim that Mr Johnson operates in a realm which exists above the law of the land: that he and his acolytes are beholden only to themselves. Yet, in the way in which it has conducted itself throughout the Patrick Grady affair and in its refusal to support its own female victims of misogyny and threat, the SNP is in no position to question the morals and ethics of anyone.

The party still has outstanding questions to answer about the whereabouts of the £600,000 it solicited from members specifically ring-fenced to fund a second referendum.

Mr Blackford, should, of course, resign his position as Westminster group leader. The problem for Ms Sturgeon though, is that there is no serious candidate to replace him. Alyn Smith reportedly fancies his chances, but as one half of the SNP’s NATO twins he is regarded as too right wing. Although if the party maintains its recent direction of travel this may yet come to be seen as an asset. And besides, who else would want to lead such a dysfunctional and pernicious mob?

If this was a properly functioning entity you’d expect that Ms Sturgeon might venture down occasionally to meet her MPs and exert a measure of discipline or esprit de corps. After all, most of them were considered for selection only with her ultimate approval. But it’s been a long time since she was last seen amongst her MPs, despite her having undertaken several visits to London, including one earlier this month to give thanks for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

If Mr Blackford were to resign it should trigger a clear-out from top to bottom of both SNP parliamentary groups. If there is no prospect of a referendum by the end of next year this should include Ms Sturgeon and her personal star-chamber which operates above the Scottish cabinet. As the First Minister embarked on another of her overseas networking excursions – this one to Italy – speculation has understandably risen that she’s preparing a post-political role for herself.

The personal whims and fetishes of an unrepresentative few have damaged the cause of Scottish independence. In the unlikely event that independence actually happens on Ms Sturgeon’s watch, it will have been made ugly by the grifters and performance artists who pay her homage.

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