SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has been urged to quit over claims he bullied the victim of sex pest MP Patrick Grady.
The complainer alleged Blackford "stared him down" and "gave him the silent treatment" in the House of Commons after he put in a complaint against his ally.
He said: “Staring down and giving the silent treatment to staff that come forward with complaints made me feel as if I was being blamed as the victim.”
READ MORE: SNP staff member called sex pest Patrick Grady's victim 'fantasist' with drink problem
The fresh claims, which an SNP Westminster spokesperson has denied, led to growing calls for Blackford to stand down.
Labour MSP Neil Bibby said: “At every turn Ian Blackford has protected the SNP rather than protecting the victim.
“The behaviour described here is despicable from someone with a duty of care to staff and frankly amounts to bullying.
“If the SNP are serious about learning the lessons of this shameful case they need to start by removing Ian Blackford as leader of the group.”
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “These reports of intimidation are shocking. They are the actions of a bully. Ian Blackford must issue a proper apology and resign.”
Blackford is fighting to save his job over his response to a sexual misconduct allegation being upheld against Grady, the MP for Glasgow North, by Westminster authorities.
Grady made unwanted sexual advances to the staffer, then aged 19, but only received a two-day suspension from the SNP group.
In a leaked recording from a meeting of SNP MPs, Blackford is heard urging colleagues to give their “absolute” support for Grady.
Blackford was also at the centre of a botched attempt to resolve the Grady issue informally at a meeting in the Commons in 2018, an approach described by the victim as an “ambush”.
Now the victim has told the Daily Record that Blackford appeared hostile to him after he made the complaint.
The SNP staffer said the only time he went back to Westminster after tabling the complaint was last summer to pick up his belongings during the pandemic.
He said: “When going to use the bathroom, I crossed Ian Blackford in the corridor, who stared me in the eyes, said nothing and walked past me letting out a big sigh, while shaking his head.
“When returning to my office to get files from my computer, he went through my office on his way to the Chamber and again stared at me while I was sitting at my desk, let out a big sigh and then walked out of my office.
“At no point did Ian ask how I was doing, at no point did he apologise for his handling of that situation, nor did he provide a welcoming atmosphere for me in my workplace.”
Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said last night: “These reports of bullying and intimidating behaviour confirm again why Ian Blackford needs to go. He has grotesquely failed this victim. There is no excuse for acting in the way he has to defend a sex pest.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says she has confidence in Blackford but has described his comments in the leaked tape as “utterly unacceptable”.
She told the BBC yesterday: “I know Ian Blackford feels deep regret that the victim in this case feels unsupported.
“And let me be very clear – a victim who feels unsupported by definition was unsupported, because making sure a victim feels supported is a crucial part of any process and I take that seriously”.
An SNP Westminster spokesperson said: “These claims are untrue.
"Ian Blackford MP, and the SNP Westminster parliamentary group, have offered support throughout.
“We recognise, however, that the individual feels differently– and that matters.
“Ian Blackford has offered to meet with the individual to discuss their concerns, and has instigated a review of our pastoral support and processes.”
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