SNP MP Patrick Grady quits party post after being accused of groping two men at a Christmas party – amid claims he was ‘protected’ by the party despite complaints about his alleged behaviour
- Grady is accused of groping the men at a Christmas party in London in 2016
- He is also separately accused of sexually harassing a man at a London pub
- SNP confirmed he had ‘stood aside’ as chief whip after a ‘formal complaint’
Patrick Grady stepped down as the SNP’s chief whip last night as the nationalists launched an investigation into claims he groped two men at a Christmas party.
The party is also facing allegations that it ‘protected’ the Glasgow North MP after allegations about his conduct at a number of events in London in 2016.
Letters obtained by the Herald newspaper detail concerns about his behaviour at the SNP Christmas party on December 15, at London’s Phoenix Artist Club. It is alleged Mr Grady groped two male researchers at the party.
It is reported that letters of complaint were passed to the SNP’s compliance unit in 2017 and 2018, saying ‘staff are scared to come forward because he is protected by the party’.
Separately, he has been accuse of sexually harassing a then 19-year-old heterosexual man in The Water Poet pub in the East End.
The Daily Record reported that the complainant in the Water Poet case had originally decided not to report it.
But after a third party raised it in 2017 he was called into a meeting with the SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford and Mr Grady, and ‘ambushed’ into accepting an apology. It’s understood the party denies this claim.
A party spokesman confirmed today that Mr Grady had ‘stood aside’ from his role as chief whip, adding: ‘The SNP has today received a formal complaint.
‘That now allows due process to take placed and we will not be commenting further while an investigation is under way.’
Patrick Grady stepped down as the SNP’s chief whip last night as the nationalists launched an investigation into claims he groped two men at a Christmas party.
The party is also facing allegations that it ‘protected’ the Glasgow North MP (pictured in 2015 with Nicola Sturgeon) after allegations about his conduct at a number of events in London in 2016.
Scottish Conservative MSP for Glasgow, Annie Wells said: ‘The SNP’s chief whip faces serious allegations, and it now appears these are finally being taken seriously by the party.
‘But Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP chief executive Peter Murrell and other senior figures including former Westminster leader Angus Robertson also have serious questions to answer.’
It comes at an already difficult time for Nicola Sturgeon’s party ahead of election in May.
At the weekend two polls found Scots would reject independence in a referendum – with Nicola Sturgeon hugely damaged by her public war with Alex Salmond.
A majority said they backed the union in separate surveys after a long run of results suggesting separatists would win a new vote north of the border.
Savanta Comres research for Scotland on Sunday gave a 52-48 per cent margin for ‘no’, excluding those who said they were not sure. Meanwhile, a Panelbase poll for the Sunday Times gave a 51-49 per cent split, and suggested just a third believe she has been entirely honest about in the spat with Mr Salmond.
The findings will cause fresh panic in the SNP, and are a boost for after growing alarm about Ms Sturgeon’s drive to break up the UK.
A Panelbase poll for the Sunday Times gave a 51-49 per cent split, and suggested just a third believe Nicola Sturgeon has been entirely honest about in the spat with Alex Salmond