An SNP MP found to have sexually harassed a party staffer has been given a plum speaking role at Westminster.
A leaked document reveals Patrick Grady has been pencilled in to take part in a set-piece debate on the Queen’s Speech.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “The Queen’s Speech is a solemn occasion in the parliamentary calendar.
“Far from removing the whip, the SNP are putting him front of house in one of the great occasions of state. It is shocking to see them double down on their support for him.”
As revealed by the Record, an SNP staffer accused the Glasgow North MP of pestering him in London’s Water Poet bar in 2016.
He said: “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.”
Grady stood aside as SNP chief whip in the wake of the claims and the staffer complained to Westminster’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Service (ICGS).
It was reported recently that the ICGS had upheld a complaint of sexual harassment and the matter referred to an independent panel.
A document circulated to SNP MPs on speaking slots shows Grady is still to be utilised by the party at Westminster.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford is listed as leading his party’s response to the Queen’s Speech on May 10th, with “PatGrad” following him.
Another section of the document confirms “PatGrad” is a reference to Grady.
Labour MP Ian Murray said: “At a time when parliament is riven with accusations of inappropriate behaviour it is important to set an example. That’s why It is remarkable that after remaining silent on reports that Patrick Grady has had a sexual harassment complaint against him upheld, the SNP has now chosen Mr Grady to be their second speaker in the Queen’s Speech debate.
“The SNP must provide clarity on what the investigation into Mr Grady’s behaviour has found.”
In his original interview with the Record, the staffer also alleged that Blackford had tried to help resolve the Grady incident informally.
He said: “He calls me into the office and the other MP [Grady] is sitting on the couch, crying.”
He continued: “At that time. I felt the only thing I could say was that it was OK. I wasn’t going to tear this guy down in front of me. It was pretty hard for me to watch.”
He added: “I wouldn’t view this as mediation – I would view it as ambush.”
At the time, the SNP described the worker’s account of the meeting as “inaccurate”.
The SNP was asked for comment.
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