THE SNP has refused to say what it knew about a sexual misconduct allegation against one of the party’s rising stars before he was allowed to become a council leader.
Opposition parties said the SNP would be “sullied” if it failed to address the controversy around Jordan Linden, the newly installed £45,000-a-year leader of North Lanarkshire.
The Sunday Mail today reported Cllr Linden, 27, had been accused of making unwanted advances to a male teenager while drunk at a party three years ago.
The paper said the SNP’s compliance Officer, Ian McCann, had been aware of the claim shortly after the party in Dundee on 21 September 2019.
However the SNP said no complaint was ever lodged against Cllr Linden and the paper’s reporting would be the referred to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).
But the SNP refused to say whether it was aware of the allegation against Cllr Linden, even though there may not have been a formal complaint.
A spokesperson said: “The Sunday Mail story is seriously flawed and will be subject to an IPSO complaint. There was no complaint lodged against Jordan, which was pointed out to the Sunday Mail, but appears to have been ignored. No further comment from us.”
The Sunday Mail reported the alleged incident took place at a flat in Dundee’s Gourlay Yard after Cllr Linden attended the city’s annual Pride parade with other SNP members.
The Herald asked the SNP whether informal complaints and allegations were passed to SNP HQ about Cllr Linden, but did not receive a reply.
The Sunday Mail said Cllr Linden and the other young man were in a room together at the Dundee party and that one activist claimed Cllr Linden left the teenager “traumatised”.
The paper said that SNP officials were made aware of the alleged incident “on behalf” of the victim, and that Mr McCann tried several times to reach out to him.
At the time, Cllr Linden was trying to secure the SNP Westminster candidacy for Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill, and had his own website, backjordan.scot, carrying endorsements from several SNP ministers.
Then justice secretary Humza Yousaf said Cllr Linden would “make an outstanding MP”.
However, just four days after the party in Dundee, Cllr Linden suddenly abandoned his plans to become a general election candidate.
“On reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw and re-focus on my important work locally in Council and on my own health & well-being,” he wrote on Twitter.
The Sunday Mail reported that a month after the Dundee party, concerns were raised with Mr McCann and then National Secretary Angus MacLeod about why no action appeared to have been taken over the matter.
Activists told the paper that SNP HQ had shown “wilful negligence”, that “nothing was done” and that Cllr Linden should not have been promoted while matters were unresolved.
Cllr Linden was also the subject of sexual misconduct concerns in 2017, in relation to his time in the Scottish Youth Parliament, which he chaired.
He was accused fo sending explicit photographs to another SYP member.
He strongly denied the claim and a police investigation failed to establish any criminality.
READ MORE: Jordan Linden, an SNP councillor, steps aside after police sleaze probe
In March last year, Cllr Linden was elected leader of the SNP opposition group on North Lanarkshire council by his fellow councillors.
In May this year, after the SNP overtook Labour in the council elections, he became council leader.
The SNP’s internal complaints process is already under scrutiny after former SNP MP Patrick Grady was found guilty of sexually harassing a male staffer while drunk in 2016.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford was accused of letting down the victim of the Glasgow North MP and allowing Mr Grady to be promoted to chief whip despite knowing of the allegation on an informal level.
Glasgow Tory MSP Annie Wells said: “While we can’t know anything about the rights and wrongs of this particular case, the SNP has already admitted the shortcomings of its procedures and handling in the Patrick Grady case.
“If it turns out that the party has not effectively investigated this matter, or has failed properly to support the complainant, it will be yet another example of their failure to abide by their own ‘zero tolerance’ position.
“The SNP correctly takes a firm line when condemning cases of misconduct, but it obviously still has questions to answer when it comes to responding effectively to allegations against those within its own ranks.”
Labour MSP Neil Bibby said: “These shocking revelations show the SNP are still operating under a damaging veil of secrecy and cover-up.
“These serious allegations must be investigated fully and urgently - but this should have happened years ago.
“It is utterly disgraceful that SNP members don’t feel they can have trust in the complaints system that is supposed to protect them.
“Every party has a duty to investigate complaints of sexual harassment and deliver a genuinely zero-tolerance approach to bullying and misconduct - but time and time again the SNP have shown they will look the other way when it suits them.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie MSP said: “Sexual harassment allegations need to be handled with care and sensitivity. The latest allegation against Cllr Linden seems to undermine the SNP's ability to do that.
"The SNP's reputation will be further sullied if they don't address this."
The Sunday Mail said it approached Cllr Linden on Friday and put the allegations to him, and that he admitted he was "possibly" aware of them.
However he declined to speak any further and asked for questions to be put in an email but failed to respond.
The Herald has tried to contact Cllr Linden.
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