Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP is “engulfed in sleaze” the Scottish Conservatives have claimed after the nationalist MP Patrick Grady stepped aside as the party’s chief whip over a sexual harassment complaint.
The Tories went on the attack after revelations by a junior SNP staff member in the Daily Record led to a formal complaint and triggered an SNP investigation and Grady’s break from office.
The complaint was one of two claims of sexual harassment made by the staff member which he alleged had been mishandled by party bosses.
The complaint against Grady related to an incident in the Water Poet pub in London in 2016 in which the Glasgow North MP is alleged to have inappropriately touched the complainer.
A second incident, which is not the subject of a formal complaint, concerned a female SNP MP in Westminster’s Strangers' Bar.
The female MP has issued a strong denial of the claims while the SNP has started an internal investigation into the claims against Grady.
Scottish Conservative MSP Annie Wells said: “For an SNP employee to make these allegations against two of the party’s MPs is highly concerning.
“It appears that Nicola Sturgeon’s party has yet again failed a victim of alleged sexual misconduct."
“There can be no place in our politics of powerful individuals using their status to sexually target others."
Wells added: “Her party is engulfed in sleaze and Scotland deserves so much better.
“The only reason this appears to have become public is because of the way in which the SNP have mishandled it.”
An SNP spokesman said: “We will not be commenting any further while an investigation is underway.”
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