Two SNP MPs accused of sexual harassment have had complaints against them upheld by a parliamentary body, according to newspaper reports.
Patrick Grady and Patricia Gibson are believed to have received the findings of an independent probe and asked to respond after claims that first emerged in the Daily Record.
Glasgow North MP Grady stepped down from his role as chief whip for the SNP in Westminster after the allegations were exclusively reported by this paper in March last year.
A young Nat staffer made complaints against Grady and the MP for North Ayrshire and Arran in 2021.
The SNP is being urged to suspend the pair following the reports.
Scottish Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain said: "Political parties should be supporting the independent investigation process. Given that there has been an interim finding of misconduct these MPs should now be suspended while the full process concludes.
"The SNP have been vocal about misconduct on the Conservative benches, they should recognise that the same standards they demand of others ought to apply to them as well."
Scottish Conservative chief whip Stephen Kerr said: "It appears that Nicola Sturgeon’s party has yet again failed victims of alleged sexual misconduct.
"The SNP have shown a complete lack of transparency and have tried to brush these horrendous incidents under the carpet in the hope people will forget about them.
"The victims deserve better than to be treated as an afterthought by the SNP who continue to be engulfed in sleaze."
After complaining about inaction from the SNP the complainer is believed to have taken his claims to Westminster’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme which deals with complaints against members of parliament.
The staff member alleged that Grady touched him inappropriately in London's Water Poet pub when he was 19 back in 2016. He also alleged that Gibson, the SNP's housing spokesperson, pestered him in Strangers' Bar in the parliament in January 2020.
In March 2021, the complainer spoke to the Record about the alleged Grady incident: “I was sitting on a couch speaking with colleagues and he perched himself on the side of the couch.
“At that point, he started putting his fingers down the back of my collar, touching me inappropriately there.
“He was also grabbing my hair.”
Gibson denied the claims made by the staffer, while Grady stepped back from his role as chief whip.
Speaking to the Record last year the complainer hit out at the SNP for its inaction: "The SNP have handled this very badly and have done next to nothing.
“They have shown every interest in keeping two MPs in post.”
The complaints, according to the Sunday Times, have been upheld and referred to an independent panel of experts. They can suspend or expel MPs from the House.
A spokesman for the Scheme told the paper it did not comment on individual cases.
The Daily Record has contacted Patrick Grady and Patricia Gibson for comment.
An SNP spokesperson told the Daily Record: "It would not be legally appropriate to comment while the independent parliamentary process is ongoing."
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