Sexual Predators within the SNP continue to be a protected species

Close friends – Dowding and Sturgeon

4 Aug 2024: Victim of former SNP equalities officer and sex offender alleges ‘sickening’ party HQ response to concerns

The allegations come after the former SNP equalities officer was jailed for six years after inflicting “unimaginable trauma” with a string of sexual and physical assaults

Victim of sex offender Cameron Downing raised concerns with the SNP that he held an equalities role in the party after being charged with sex offences, but no action was taken, it has been alleged.

Downing, 24, attacked seven people between 2016 and 2021 and was convicted of ten charges, including sexual and physical assaults, and domestic abuse. Last month he was jailed for six years at the High Court in Edinburgh, prompting calls for answers about how much the SNP knew.

Downing bragged about being “friends” with ex-first minister Nicola Sturgeon, it was reported, and concerns had allegedly been raised with the SNP in 2022 because of images of him holding a placard threatening “terfs”.

The SNP removed his membership in January last year claiming it was “as soon as we became aware of legal action being taken”. However, one of Downing’s victims told the Sunday Mail she raised concerns in 2022.

The newspaper reported Downing was arrested and charged in 2021, but was appointed an equalities officer in the SNP’s London branch and held two other roles in the party’s official LGBT wing, Out for Independence.

The Sunday Mail said one of his victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, wrote to the SNP in October 2022 to raise concerns about the positions Downing was holding and that it was a “disservice” to victims.

The woman, who previously supported the SNP, said it was “disturbing” that questions she was then asked were all about the party. She said Downing introduced her to Ms Sturgeon at an Edinburgh vigil for victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida in 2016.

The woman told the paper: “I went to a vigil in St Andrew’s Square. Sturgeon was there and I met her with Cameron. She was on a first name basis with him. Cameron’s actions do not make him suitable to represent anyone, especially a minority that already faces enough criticism.”

In October 2022, she is reported to have emailed SNP HQ and Holyrood equalities committee convener, MSP Karen Adam, after images of Downing with Sturgeon emerged.

The email reportedly read: “I am contacting you in reference to an equalities officer of the London branch. Cameron is involved in a High Court case that involves more than five individuals that he has sexually harassed or assaulted.

It is a disservice to his victims and the LGBTQ+ community to allow him to continue. Multiple images have been posted and, while I do not blame Nicola Sturgeon, it is still very difficult to witness.

“Cameron’s actions do not make him suitable to represent anyone, especially a minority that already faces enough criticism.”

She had already reported to police that Downing had forcibly kissed her, and had bombarded her with used sanitary products before scalding her, according to the paper.

The Sunday Mail said that responding, Ian McCann, SNP corporate governance and compliance manager, allegedly asked: “If – to your knowledge – any of the circumstances around the allegations involved

The woman told the paper it was “sickening”. She added: “It seemed they were more interested in ‘was it SNP adjacent? Did it happen in the SNP?’.

“There didn’t appear to be any concern about me or others. I emailed Karen Adam as I knew she had been in pictures with him. She said there wasn’t really anything she could do. The same with my local MSP.

“The SNP gave him these positions after he’d been arrested. That’s really disturbing. He was working with LGBT people who are vulnerable, after committing sex attacks.

“The SNP hardly said anything about their knowledge of what he was doing or why he was able to get these roles. It’s not right.”

Judge Alison Stirling told Downing he had “shown no remorse or insight”, and had shown “hostility towards women” during sentencing in July.

SNP MSP Fergus Ewing, who previously called for an investigation, said: “The party leaders must now come clean and spell out exactly what happened and why they failed to act upon the offensive social media comments by this man.

“The leadership boast about there being no place for sexism or misogyny and that such behaviour will immediately lead to expulsion. At the same time, they fail to act when this very behaviour is brought to their attention. This is rank hypocrisy.” (Sarah Ward The Scotsman)

2016: Sturgeon on Patrick Grady – Sexual Predator I was aware of concerns but there were no complaints

Grady made unwanted sexual advances to a male teenaged staffer employed by the Party at Westminster by touching and stroking his hair, back and neck.

Ian Blackford, then leader of the SNP group at Westminster instigated a process effectively brushing Grady’s behaviour under the carpet a state of affairs that remained in place until 2022 when the content of a meeting led by Blackford was leaked revealing him urging colleagues to show support for Grady while failing to mention the victim.

Blackford was replaced by Stephen Flynn soon after.

The matter was investigated by House of Commons officials and Grady was forced to make a public apology in the Commons, for his unacceptable behaviour and a private one to the victim and was suspended from parliament for 2 days.

Weeks later the SNP was forced by press and public pressure to deal with the matter but only after the Scottish police opened an investigation into events in London.

Grady was called to account and following his admission to the offences he was first removed from his offical positions within the Party and had his party membership withdrawn.

Nicola Sturgeon then made a brief statement to the press that the process for complaining within the SNP was not fit for purpose and the victim had been badly served by the Party.

Six short months later the Glasgow North MP returned to the Party. Fully reinstated.

Shocked political observers commented: “This decision clearly shows that the SNP has no desire to root out sleaze or punish offenders. It is business as usual for the SNP Westminster club. Grady should have had the whip removed permanently but no matter, at the next election, the people of Glasgow will have the chance to give Grady his marching orders.”

And what of the teenager six years after the event. He feels he was badly let down by people he trusted and was forced to leave employment with the Party in London. His concern is that the outcome of his complaints will reinforce the views of many that abuse of staff employed by the SNP will continue unabated.

Dec 2018: Former SNP councillor, North Lanarkshire District Council wins her defamation case

Julie McAnulty, former SNP councillor won a £40,000 defamation payout after she sued fellow SNP activist Sheena McCulloch who made a malicious allegation of racism against her.

The allegation was first raised by McCulloch in a letter to SNP compliance manager Ian McCann, and copied to chief executive Peter Murrell, and then-National Secretary Patrick Grady.

(This is the same person reported to McCann, 2 years previously, as a sexual predator of teenagers in Westminster).

McNulty denied the allegations and asked McCann for the backing of SNP headquarters to clear her name.

Her plea for assistance was refused forcing her to pursue the matter in the civil court.

Explaining her decision she said: “It should never have got to this stage. The SNP’s internal procedures are more than capable of resolving the matter. But for reasons not explained to me they declined to get involved.”

In his judgement Lord Uist, stated the accusation was part of a campaign against her by an “opposing faction within the local SNP”.

He said it was designed to prevent her being nominated as a candidate for the Scottish Parliament and “possibly to oust her from the party.”

North Lanarkshire Council depute leader, Labour’s Paul Kelly, said: “It is clear that SNP headquarters should immediately conduct a full investigation of the elected members who played their part in this scandal.” There was no investigation.

2017 Jordan Linden accused of sexual misconduct

Jordan Linden, then Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, was accused of sexual misconduct in sending explicit photographs to another SYP member. He denied the claim and a police investigation failed to establish any criminality.

Note: These events are still unresolved many years later . Complainants continue to press for their allegations to be properly investigated and resolved to their satisfaction. What has happened since adds weight to their arguments.

Sep 2019: Ian McCann, Compliance Officer for the SNP was formally advised of allegations of sexual harrassment against Jordan Linden claiming he had made unwelcome sexual advances on he person of another male member of the Party at an after event function in Dundee on 21 September 2019.

Four days later Councillor Linden, who had been lauded before the function by Huma Yousaf as a person who would “make an outstanding MP” withdrew his nomination to become athe Westminster candidate for Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill at the next General Election.

Oct 2019: Concerns were raised with Mr McCann, but not resolved, about why no action appeared to have been taken over the matter. Much later activists told the press that SNP HQ had shown “wilful negligence”, and that “nothing was done.”

Mar 2022: Councillor Linden was elected leader of the SNP opposition group on North Lanarkshire council by his fellow councillors. Not long after the local press picked up on events at Dundee and asked Linden if there was any truth in the matter. He declined to comment but did not deny the allegations.

Sep 2022: Sophia Coyle spoke out after weeks of strife at crisis-hit North Lanarkshire Council, claiming the party is turning a blind eye to harassment she and others have endured.

She alleged another Councillor, tipped by party insiders as a potential leader of the SNP group in Lanarkshire, had been “obstructive, aggressive and abusive” towards her since he became a councillor.

She said: “His behaviour towards me has caused other branch members to complain. It’s not as if I have been the only one. He tried to block me from standing as the branch woman’s officer and, when my dad resigned, he said I should not be involved in Party meetings because of what happened. I’ve no control over my dad, his decision was nothing to do with me. Good members have written in and complained. Over the years I have emailed Ian McCann (SNP Compliance Officer) and I’ve yet to have a response from the guy, let alone a phone call. It’s absolutely shocking and he needs to explain what it is he’s doing about complaints.”

Ian McCann