THE Scottish Greens are investigating a bullying complaint against MSP Maggie Chapman, the Sunday National has learned.
Documents shared with this paper allege that the MSP contacted the place of work of Green activist Guy Ingerson in October 2024 to suggest that he “was untrustworthy and should be ‘watched’”.
Ingerson is named as the complainer in the documents, which the Sunday National understands were brought before the Greens’ Conducts and Complaints Committee last week.
The complaint reads: “On October 15, 2024, I was informed by my line manager that Ms Chapman had raised concerns to my place of employment, [redacted]. This involved speaking with a board member of the organisation and insinuating that I was untrustworthy and should be ‘watched’.
“This act shows an escalation of the malicious behaviour described previously and is a serious breach of the Code of Conduct.”
The document makes reference to a separate complaint put in by Chapman against Ingerson, which the Sunday National understands was ultimately dismissed.
It states: “There was also an instruction to take pictures etc of Ms Chapman at any event in which we are both in attendance, regardless of the capacity I may be there in.
“As well as being a highly inappropriate attempt to force me to work for the party outside of party-related events, this unreasonable expectation formed part of the complaint Ms Chapman had made against me.”
Other allegations in the complaint relate to disagreements around social media output or internal party processes about motions to be heard at conference.
Green co-leader and MSP Patrick Harvie and MSP Mark Ruskell are both named as witnesses in the documents.
Ingerson was second on the Greens’ North East Scotland regional list in the 2021 Holyrood elections, and is believed to be bidding to take the top spot from Chapman for the 2026 vote.
One source who has worked with both dismissed the idea that the latest bullying complaint was simply part of a selection battle between the two, saying: “I have seen tit-for-tat selection battles and this isn’t one.”
They said that while they have seen “malicious complaints about [Chapman] in the past”, they believed this was “legitimate”.
Both Ingerson and Chapman declined to comment in detail on the complaint.
Chapman said: “I cannot comment on anything that has been raised with the Conduct and Complaints Committee to review as this is an internal party process that is dealt with in private, and that must be respected.”
And Ingerson said: “I won't comment on internal party processes, but I will make the general point that bullying is unacceptable in any political party and in any workplace.”
A party spokesperson for the Scottish Greens said: “The Scottish Greens have a robust complaints procedure and a Code of Conduct for all members.
“Any complaints raised are reviewed by our Conduct and Complaints Committee privately. We do not comment on any complaints.”
