SNP Faces Mounting Pressure Over Sex Scandals as Cover-Up Culture Exposed
The Scottish National Party is finding it increasingly difficult to conceal its growing list of sex scandals, with the latest conviction of former North Lanarkshire Council leader Jordan Linden representing one of the most disturbing episodes yet. Linden, once considered a rising star within the SNP, was found guilty last week of five separate sex assaults and sending sexual communications to multiple teenagers, including one victim aged just fourteen.
A Pattern of Organizational Failure
Evidence continues to mount that Linden's criminal behavior emerged from a deeply dysfunctional organization that has consistently prioritized the independence crusade above all other considerations. The party's unofficial "wheesht for indy" mantra—which encourages members to remain silent about controversies that might damage the independence cause—represents what critics describe as a profoundly unhealthy ideology that enables misconduct to flourish unchecked.
First Minister John Swinney has attempted to defer serious action on the issue, promising a review and issuing an apology to Linden's victims just weeks before an election. However, this response has been widely condemned as too little, too late. Revelations have emerged that Swinney ignored earlier pleas to address safeguarding concerns within the SNP, with a group of Linden's former council colleagues urging him last year to examine the case and implement measures to prevent other predators from abusing their party positions.
Leadership Failures and Delayed Responses
Swinney only announced an inquiry into the SNP's complaints process on Friday, the day after Linden's conviction at Falkirk Sheriff Court. The First Minister's apology to victims came only when he was questioned about the matter while attending an independence rally—hardly demonstrating proactive leadership or genuine contrition. With his "fingers firmly in his ears," as critics describe it, Swinney appears determined to frame these scandals as ancient history that should be put behind the party.
The SNP leadership has multiple reasons to want this disgraceful episode buried, extending beyond mere electoral considerations. Numerous senior figures had previously endorsed Linden as the SNP's prospective Westminster candidate for Coatbridge before he withdrew, citing a desire to focus on council duties and personal wellbeing. In reality, he had already been accused of groping a teenager while intoxicated at a Dundee party following the city's Pride parade in 2019.
High-Profile Endorsements and Systemic Problems
Former Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf praised Linden as someone "not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get stuff done," while Children's Minister Maree Todd commended his "work ethic." Culture Secretary Angus Robertson, previously the SNP's Commons group leader, declared that Coatbridge needed an "energetic, hardworking and talented SNP candidate who will make a first-class MP."
For years, Linden's political territory was characterized by cronyism and internal conflicts so severe that calls were made for SNP headquarters to intervene. One North Lanarkshire source described the situation as "a swamp," adding that "the Linden scandal is the rotten fruit of a rotten tree." The source further explained that at a national level, "an old school party machine didn't scale up when membership rocketed," creating a culture of denial where problems were deliberately ignored.
Broader Pattern of Misconduct and Cover-Ups
The Linden case represents just one thread in a much larger tapestry of SNP scandals. Former SNP chief whip Patrick Grady, who served as national secretary during this period of tribalism, was found to have made unwanted advances toward a teenage party worker in a London bar in 2016. A leaked recording revealed then-Commons leader Ian Blackford encouraging colleagues to offer Grady "as much support as possible," while the victim reportedly faced disciplinary threats from party bosses.
Deputy leader Keith Brown defended Blackford with meaningless platitudes about "learning lessons," though no substantive changes followed. The shockwaves from the Alex Salmond sex scandal continue to reverberate nearly two years after his death, with Angus Robertson having previously investigated claims of "perceived" inappropriate behavior by Salmond toward female staff at Edinburgh Airport in 2009—only to accept Salmond's denial and close the matter.
Additional Cases and Financial Controversies
The Derek Mackay scandal further exposed the SNP's priorities when the Finance Secretary was forced to resign in 2020 after bombarding a sixteen-year-old boy with 270 online messages, including invitations to dinner and comments about his appearance. Despite not attending parliament for the final fifteen months of his tenure, Mackay received a £53,725 resettlement grant. At the time, one of Nicola Sturgeon's communications advisors attempted to suppress the story by claiming publication would constitute an "intrusion" into Mackay's private life.
Former Children's Minister Mark McDonald resigned in 2017 after sending lewd messages to women, yet continued to occupy Holyrood offices as an independent member while party bosses decided his fate. Meanwhile, the SNP government has allocated nearly £4 million over the past decade to LGBT Youth Scotland, a controversial organization once led by one of Britain's most notorious paedophiles.
A Party Prioritizing Independence Over Integrity
Despite numerous skeletons rattling in the SNP's cupboard, no senior figures have faced meaningful consequences for their misjudgments or attempted cover-ups. For a party that presents itself as progressive and modern, the SNP maintains an abysmal record on defending victims' rights—particularly when those victims have been harmed by the party's own senior members.
The Jordan Linden scandal lays bare once again the inner workings of a political organization seemingly more concerned with achieving Scottish independence than with basic ethical standards, prepared to turn a blind eye to any misconduct that might threaten its singular objective.
