SNP chief told of Linden complaints 10 years ago, says ex-official

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell was informed of complaints about Jordan Linden a decade ago, according to an ex-member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP).

Linden, a former leader of North Lanarkshire Council, was found guilty of five sexual assaults against young men last month.

Amy Lee Fraioli, who was on the board of the SYP in 2016, said its then chief executive had told Murrell it was investigating allegations of sexual misconduct.

Since Linden's conviction, SNP leader John Swinney has apologised to his victims and announced an independent review of the party's complaints procedures.

Linden, 30, was active for many years in the SNP's youth wing and became chairman of the youth parliament in 2015 but stepped down the following year after explicit images of him began to circulate among its members.

Last month he was convicted of 10 charges including five sexual assaults and sending unwanted sexual communications to teenagers between 2011 and 2021.

Fraioli confirmed to BBC Scotland News that the SYP began receiving reports in 2016 about members being sent sexual images, and decided to bring in a private law firm to investigate the complaints.

She said the youth parliament's officials were at the time based in the same Edinburgh building as the SNP, and the SYP's chief executive Ben McKendrick told Murrell about the probe.

"He went up and he spoke to Peter Murrell, he informed him of the investigation and the fact that it was taking place at that time in 2016," she told the Mail on Sunday, which first reported the story.

The law firm found no evidence of wrongdoing and in 2017 Linden was elected as a councillor in North Lanarkshire.

Five years later he became the authority's leader but resigned two months later when more allegations of sexual harassment emerged.

Fraioli, now 27, first became involved with the SYP when she was a teenager and became its chair in 2017.

An SNP spokesperson did not directly address Fraioli's claims but said the party had carried out a "comprehensive review of complaints procedures since 2016".

They added: "In light of this case the party leader, John Swinney, has instructed that an independent review of these procedures be conducted.

"This will ensure people are protected and our complaints procedures are as robust as they can be.

"More generally, the SNP welcomes the verdict against Mr Linden and commends the bravery of the individuals who came forward and shared their experiences with the police."