SNP chiefs have been accused of making a secret deal to allow sex pest MP Patrick Grady back in the party. And some Nat members are questioning his reappointment.
After the Sunday Mail revealed in July that the Glasgow North MP was being probed by police over sexual harassment, the SNP said he was “stepping away from his party membership”.
Ex-Westminster leader Ian Blackford also said at the time: “Patrick Grady is not a member of the SNP.”
But when Grady made a surprise return to the SNP last month, a spokesman claimed his membership had been placed on “administrative suspension” for the last six months.
One SNP MP told the Sunday Mail: “Normally you’d expect a two-year suspension. So when Patrick came back and it was decided he would only face a six-month suspension, I was surprised.
“There are people within the [Westminster] group unhappy about it as well because it makes us all look bad. It creates difficulty for [Westminster leader] Stephen Flynn as it reflects poorly on him. It raises questions if there was some kind of grubby backroom deal.”
Another SNP politician said: “We’re told Patrick resigned from the SNP but now we’re told that wasn’t the case and he was just suspended. You can’t be suspended and quit – it has to be one or the other. The leadership needs to make sure this is completely transparent.”
In June, Grady was suspended from the House of Commons for two days after he was found to have sexually harassed a young SNP staff member.
He was also suspended by the party for five days but only quit when we revealed a police probe against him.
When asked why he said Grady was not an SNP member if he was merely suspended, Mr Blackford said: “I was informed Patrick had suspended his membership and as such lost all his rights and privileges as an SNP member. The decision to reinstate his membership is a party matter.”
Asked if he was aware of an agreement to let Grady back into the party prior to his quitting, Mr Blackford replied “no”.
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