A senior SNP official has been accused of "jaw-dropping interference" after a sexual harassment allegation was made against the party’s council leader in North Lanarkshire.
SNP national secretary Lorna Finn emailed councillors ahead of a crunch meeting on Jordan Linden’s future to say no complaint had been made against him.
Louise Roarty, a Scottish Labour councillor in North Lanarkshire, said: “This is jaw-dropping interference from the party’s upper echelons.
"Once again the SNP seem to be closing ranks to protect their own. These are serious allegations that cannot be ignored.”
The Sunday Mail last week reported how Linden, who took over as council leader after the elections in May, had been accused of groping a teenager in 2019.
The newspaper reported claims the alleged incident took place in a flat in Dundee following a Pride parade in the city.
Days after the march Linden pulled out of the race to be an SNP candidate for Westminster.
Labour councillors are considering a motion of no confidence in Linden after the party group leader Jim Logue reportedly urged him to quit.
Linden, 27, will meet his own council group at a meeting today at 5pm.
In an email to SNP councillors yesterday afternoon, leaked to the Record, Finn wrote: “I am aware that there is a suggestion that Labour will bring forward a motion of no confidence against Jordan Linden as council leader. I do not seek to interfere in whatever deliberations the SNP group will be having.
“However, I would want to be clear on one thing. No complaint of sexual harassment was made against Jordan. “
Finn claimed the Sunday Mail had been warned no complaint had been lodged, adding:
“If Labour have suggested that they have no confidence in Jordan because there is a complaint of sexual harassment against him, then they are basing that on a falsehood.”
A vote by councillors on Linden's future could be tight, as the SNP run a minority administration.
The SNP have 36 seats, Labour have 32 and the Tories have 5. There are also two Independents, one Green and one British Unionist.
Tory MSP Annie Wells said: “Regardless of what processes were or weren’t followed in this particular case, what is not in doubt is that a serious allegation has been made, and once again the SNP’s instincts are all wrong when it comes to handling it.
“As with previous cases of alleged sexual misconduct, including the Patrick Grady one, their knee-jerk response is to close ranks and protect the perpetrator rather than support the brave complainant.
“This is unfair, wrong and sends out a dreadful message to other possible victims of sexual harassment or abuse within the SNP, who may be put off coming forward.”
An SNP spokesperson quoted part of Finn's email which claimed she was not trying to interfere.
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