Jordan Linden, a former Scottish National Party council leader, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for sexual offences against young men and teenagers, including a 14-year-old. The 30-year-old was convicted of five sexual assaults and directing unwanted sexual communications towards seven teenagers, crimes committed over a decade between 2011 and 2021.
Linden, once a rising star in the SNP and former chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, stood down as leader of North Lanarkshire council in 2022 after allegations emerged. During his trial at Falkirk sheriff court in March, one witness testified that the SNP had “downplayed or ignored” complaints about his behaviour. Another victim described how Linden climbed into his bunk during a trip to Barcelona and began caressing him.
One of the assaults occurred at a house party in Dundee after a Pride march in 2019. Linden has been placed on the sex offender register. Victims told the Mail on Sunday they wanted the charities regulator to investigate the Scottish Youth Parliament, which they described as “a hunting ground” for Linden.
Detective Chief Inspector Diane Barr, the senior investigating officer, said Linden had abused his position of trust to befriend young males seeking his support. “His conduct toward them was far from professional,” she said.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney said he hoped the sentence would give victims assurance that Linden had been held to account. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the case exposed “the rotten culture at the heart of the SNP”.
