Calls for SNP candidate to be sacked as party council leader over Jordan Linden scandal

This comes after First Minister John Swinney refused to say whether or not party aides were aware of Linden’s behaviour before it was reported in the media.

Linden is the former leader of North Lanarkshire Council and has now been convicted of 10 separate offences following a trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court, including five sexual assaults.

Earlier this week recordings of party meetings were published where SNP councillors, including Ms Carragher, were heard giving their support to Linden and threatening to find and discipline the individual responsible for leaking information to the press.

Ms Carragher, who is a list candidate for Central Scotland at the May election, was also called as a defence witness during Linden’s criminal trial.

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There are now cross-party calls for her to be immediately dropped as a candidate.

Dame Jackie Baillie, deputy leader of Scottish Labour, said: “John Swinney must finally act over the growing scandal surrounding Tracy Carragher.

“He must stop re-traumatising Jordan Linden’s victims by taking the action he should have taken a week ago - ending Tracy Carragher’s leadership in North Lanarkshire and removing her as an SNP candidate before Thursday’s full council meeting.

“John Swinney can no longer hide behind silence, excuses or delay.”

On Tuesday Mr Swinney insisted he was not aware of Linden’s behaviour until it was reported in the press.

However, the secret recordings published this week suggest some within the SNP were aware of the situation as party bosses had told Linden not to comment on the allegations.

Mr Swinney has since ordered an independent review into the SNP’s complaints procedures.

Dame Jackie said Mr Swinney needs to “come clean” about exactly what he knew and when about this scandal.

She said: “Every day Tracy Carragher remains in place, John Swinney sends the message that the SNP is more interested in protecting its own than in standing up for victims.

“Her position is untenable. She must be sacked as the North Lanarkshire SNP leader and dumped as an SNP candidate immediately.”

She added: “John Swinney should have acted a week ago. If he fails to act now, it will be clear that he is still choosing cover-up over accountability.”

This was echoed by Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, who when asked if Ms Carragher should be removed as a candidate said: "It's staggering that that candidate would still think that they should be contesting this election.

“He said she "should consider her position".

Ms Carragher has denounced Linden following his conviction, and said: “I gave an honest account of my involvement and my knowledge of events.

“I did not at any point defend Mr Linden.”

Stephen Flynn MP, the SNP’s Westminster leader and widely seen as a successor to Mr Swinney, has previously suggested Ms Carragher should be removed if she continued to stand by Linden.

He referred to former MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy, who was sacked from Scottish Labour’s frontbench team for maintaining her close friendship with convicted paedophile Sean Morton.

Mr Flynn suggested that due to “consistency” with the calls for Ms Duncan-Glancy to lose the Labour whip, Ms Carragher should face action if she stood by Linden.

On Tuesday during a campaign visit to Dundee, Mr Swinney was asked by The Scotsman how much he knew on the back of the secret recordings being published. Mr Swinney said: “I’ve answered these questions already, I knew nothing about this until it all came into the public domain.

“I can only tell you what I knew about it and I’ve set out that the party is reviewing its complaints handling process.”

However, when asked if any of his aides were aware of Linden’s behaviour at the time, Mr Swinney refused to answer the question. Instead, he said: “What matters is whether we’ve got the processes in place to tackle these issues, and after the review that’s been done.

“I’m satisfied we have got those procedures in place but I want to satisfy myself and make sure we’ve got further independent scrutiny of that.”