A former SNP council leader, Jordan Linden, was sentenced to 18 months in jail after being found guilty of abusing five young men. He was on trial at Airdrie Sheriff Court in March, where the court also heard that the SNP had “downplayed or ignored” complaints about his behaviour.
The 30-year-old Linden was convicted of engaging in unwanted sexual communications with five teenagers, the youngest of whom was 14. He stepped down as leader of North Lanarkshire Council in 2022 when the allegations emerged.
In one of the offences, he sexually assaulted two victims at a house party in Dundee after a Pride march in 2019.
One witness said that Linden climbed into his bunk at a youth hostel during a trip with Young Scots for Independence, the SNP’s youth wing. He stated that Linden tried to caress and kiss him.
The victim also reported his behaviour to the police in 2023, as he did not feel confident that the SNP would handle his complaint properly.
“Everywhere I went for help in the SNP, I was ignored or it was downplayed,” he told the court.
Linden, who also chaired the Scottish Youth Parliament, denied all the offences, which took place over a 10-year period from 2011 to 2021. He has been placed on the sex offenders register.
Linden’s behaviour was unacceptable: SNP leader John Swinney
SNP leader and Scottish First Minister John Swinney called Linden’s behaviour unacceptable and said he hoped the sentence would give victims “some assurance [that Linden] has been held to account for the unacceptable behaviour they experienced.”
While campaigning in Hamilton ahead of Thursday’s elections, Swinney said complaints handling within the SNP has already been strengthened. However, he added that he wants independent scrutiny to determine whether it is sufficiently robust.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the case exposed a “rotten culture” at the heart of the SNP. Speaking at a rally in Glasgow, he told supporters: “This is who they are: party first, country second.”
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, victims said they wanted the charities regulator to investigate the Scottish Youth Parliament, calling it a “hunting ground” for Linden.
Linden abused his position, says investigating officer
Senior investigating officer DCI Diane Barr said police spoke to a broad range of people during the investigation, many of whom regarded Linden as being in a position of trust.
She said Linden abused this position by befriending young males who were seeking his support and opportunities to learn, but his conduct toward them was far from professional.
“I’d like to thank the victims who came forward to report their experiences to police. Their testimony and support ensured that we were able to bring Linden before the courts,” she added.
