North Lanarkshire Council Condemns SNP Over Jordan Linden Scandal
Councillors have launched a scathing attack on the SNP, accusing the party of putting Jordan Linden's victims 'through hell' by protecting the convicted paedophile and systematically ignoring complaints about his conduct. The allegations emerged during a tense and highly emotional meeting of the full North Lanarkshire Council, where members praised the former council leader's victims and demanded resignations from those within the SNP who backed him.
Motion Passes to Strip SNP of Financial Benefit
A total of 50 councillors backed a winning motion that calls for the SNP to lose a £10,000 pay boost, known as a special responsibility payment, awarded to its group leader. This punitive measure is a direct result of the party's catastrophic failure in handling the Linden scandal. However, the local politicians notably did not support a separate motion, brought by council leader Jim Logue, to sever ties with the Scottish Youth Parliament, where Linden committed some of his heinous crimes.
Conviction and Controversial Defence
The 30-year-old Jordan Linden was convicted last week of sexually harassing and abusing boys and young men, a verdict that has prompted widespread condemnation. Particular outrage has been directed at two of his former SNP colleagues – Tracy Carragher and Fiona Fotheringham – who testified in his defence during the trial. In response, Ms Carragher has been suspended from the SNP and removed as a candidate for the upcoming Holyrood election.
Secret recordings of internal SNP group meetings, held after Linden was forced to resign as leader in 2022, revealed deeply troubling comments. One councillor, Kirsten Larson, was heard stating that the only thing she believed Linden was guilty of was 'being a young person'. When this recording was raised during the council meeting by one of Linden's victims, fellow councillor Cameron McManus, Ms Larson called for 'dignity and respect' and accused him of 'selectively quoting' her remarks.
Emotional Exchanges and Accusations of Hypocrisy
Mr McManus delivered a powerful retort, stating he would show 'more respect' for his former colleagues 'than all of them have shown me'. He highlighted their collective silence, saying: 'All of them do have my mobile number, and not once in the last week has any of them contacted me. Dignity and respect? Look in the mirror.'
The debate grew increasingly heated as Cumbernauld SNP councillor Adam Smith accused the Labour party, which backed McManus's motion, of 'politicising and profiteering' at the victims' expense. He pointed to Labour's own record, stating: 'The hypocrisy of Labour to be seconding this motion when we've seen their members at every level of government participate in criminal acts and be charged for them.'
Labour councillor Peter McDade fired back: 'Your group elected a convicted paedophile to be not only your leader but the leader of this council, and you sit there with moral superiority.'
Expelled Councillors Demand Accountability
Paul DiMascio, one of several former SNP councillors who were ejected from the party after supporting Mr McManus, issued a direct demand for accountability. He insisted that Ms Carragher and Ms Fotheringham should 'do the right thing and resign'. DiMascio argued: 'A survivor was put through hell, and so were the six members who stood by him. Almost every member [of the SNP] is culpable, in my view. Tracy Carragher and Fiona Fotheringham, not to mention the other colleagues...none of them are fit to hold public office. You should both do the right thing and resign.'
Other ex-SNP councillors, including David Crichton, Greg Lennon, and Gerry Brennan, also criticised their former party for forcing them out simply for backing Mr McManus. Mr Crichton revealed there had been 'toxic times within the SNP group', which led to the expulsion of eight former SNP councillors. He added a crucial point: 'Far more importantly, however, it led to the conscious and deliberate shielding of Jordan Linden by his closest allies, and this served to protect him from personal and group scrutiny. To be clear, he has now been proven to be guilty of far more than simply being a young person.'
The final vote saw the motion to remove the SNP's special payment pass decisively by 50 votes to 21, marking a significant rebuke to the party's handling of the scandal.
