Former Youth Parliament Member Details Alleged Harassment by SNP Councillor
A former member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) has testified in court that he resigned from the organisation because his complaints about its then chief, Jordan Linden, were not taken seriously. The witness, now 30, gave evidence on the first day of Linden's trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court, where the SNP leader of North Lanarkshire Council faces 24 charges involving 13 people.
The alleged offences span an 11-year period up to 2022, with victims ranging from 14 to 22 years old at the time. The former SYP member described feeling "disgusted" about his interactions with Linden, which began when he was elected to the organisation in 2011 at age 15.
Pattern of Inappropriate Behaviour Alleged
The witness, who now works for a housing association, characterised Linden as "touchy feely" from the outset. "He was trying to know everything about you. He was very much in your face. There was no barrier," he told the court.
He alleged consistent physical contact: "Your arm, stomach, your bum. He had a way of trying to touch your belt almost as if to pull your trousers down... It was almost like a game." The witness claimed this behaviour occurred even during meetings intended to improve conditions for young people.
The man also described disturbing late-night phone calls from Linden, who allegedly had "slurred speech" or was "panting" down the phone. He further alleged receiving explicit images of Linden's "lower half" with his genitals visible.
Complaints Ignored and Forced Proximity
The witness stated he made his discomfort known to both Linden and youth workers, but his concerns were not "taken seriously." He told jurors: "This was not done in secret. The attitude was 'That's just Jordan'. His behaviour was not normal."
He recalled a particularly distressing incident during a two-day residential event where SYP members gathered to discuss policy. Despite making it "abundantly clear" he did not want to share a room with Linden, he was assigned to do so. "He was having the time of his life. He was laughing and giggling, saying 'I've not brought any jammies on this trip and it's a double bed'. He was rejoicing in the occasion," the witness testified.
He ended up bunking with other boys as "nobody wanted to share with Jordan," describing the situation as "Russian roulette." Feeling dissatisfied with the lack of action, he left the Youth Parliament in 2014 to "remove myself from the equation."
Second Witness Describes Power Dynamics
A second former SYP member, first elected in 2011 at age 14, also gave evidence. He alleged that around 2013, Linden began messaging him on Snapchat, sending "almost daily images" that became sexual, including one of himself submerged in a bubble bath where his genitals were visible.
By 2014, Linden had become chairman of the SYP and joined the SNP. The witness claimed this made it difficult to ignore his messages despite feeling uncomfortable. "I only continued to speak to him because of who he was. I wanted to be a politician at the time. He had a lot of power as chair of the SYP and a lot of power in the SNP as well," he told jurors.
He compared the dynamic to "the First Minister messaging you. I wasn't going to tell the First Minister to go away. I was very young."
The witness described a 2014 trip to London for a British Youth Council event where Linden allegedly asked inappropriate sexual questions. "He asked when I had sex with men what position would I take, asking me if I had sex with my partner at the time. I didn't know what to say. I felt like I was being violated...but I felt like I was being made to answer because it was him," he testified.
Defence and Trial Proceedings
Jordan Linden, represented by David Moggach KC, denies all 24 charges of sexual assault, stalking, sexual communication and statutory breach of the peace. For one charge of sexual communication involving sending images to a 16 or 17-year-old boy when Linden was 19 or 20, he has given notice of a special defence of consent.
He also claims that two alleged sexual assaults on a 22 or 23-year-old man in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, and Glasgow in 2018 were consensual. The trial before Sheriff Christopher Shead continues at Falkirk Sheriff Court.
