SNP Reviews Complaints Process After Linden Convictions

Former North Lanarkshire Council leader Jordan Linden was convicted last week of 10 offenses, including five sexual assaults, against eight young men and boys spanning from 2011 to 2021, prompting a major fallout within the Scottish National Party over its handling of related complaints.

Linden, 30, who once served as chairman of the Scottish Youth Parliament and was seen as a rising SNP figure, faced trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court. The convictions came after allegations surfaced years earlier, including reports in 2022 of unwanted advances toward a teenager, which led to his resignation from the council leadership. During the trial, SNP councillors Tracy Carragher and Fiona Fotheringham testified as defense witnesses, describing their close associations with Linden, including attending a Christmas party with him months after initial accusations.

The case escalated scrutiny of the SNP's response to complaints. Local party branches in areas such as Uddingston and Bellshill, and Motherwell and Wishaw, wrote to then-national secretary Lorna Finn and compliance officer Ian McCann in August and September 2022, raising concerns about Linden's conduct. Further efforts followed in May...