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Topic Originator: NMCmassive
Date: Sun 29 Mar 12:54
Has anyone been following the Jordan Linden case?
Bad enough on its own. But here’s where it gets worse.
Complaints about his behaviour were raised within the SNP as far back as 2022. Rather than act on them, the party apparently sat on it. A fellow councillor eventually went to the police in 2023 because he had no confidence the party would handle it properly. Victims have said they were called liars and pushed out of politics for speaking up.
And the response when councillors complained about how it was handled? Two expelled, four suspended — for allegedly ‘bringing the party into disrepute.’
The thing is, this isn’t a one-off. Cast your mind back — Derek Mackay sending hundreds of messages to a teenage boy, Patrick Grady’s Westminster leader telling MPs to rally around the abuser rather than the victim, Bill Walker’s history of domestic violence being known to SNP HQ before he was even selected as a candidate.
At what point does this stop being individual failures and start being a pattern?
John Swinney has ordered a review of complaints procedures. But given how many times we’ve heard that kind of response, is anyone actually buying it?
Would love to hear what people think — especially whether you believe the SNP has a genuine cultural problem?
Personally I think this is the 6th time we’ve had this from the SNP and I genuinely believe they’ve got to go for Scotland and the independence movement to move forward.
COYP
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Topic Originator: hurricane_jimmy
Date: Sun 29 Mar 13:05
I absolutely agree that such cases in the SNP should be investigated, scrutinized, publicized and prosecuted to the fullest extent necessary.
Would I be correct in assuming that you would be equally in favour of a full and thorough public inquiry into the Unionist parties over their implicitness in the Epstein scandal? Or their siphoning of Scottish resources, both monetary and resources, to keep Northern England afloat? And, of course, a thorough audit of Nigel Farage`s finances along with those of his son (an EY director) here in Hong Kong?
Somehow though, it seems that Holyrood politicians are held to a higher moral standard than those in Westminster. NMCN, why is this the case?
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Topic Originator: LochgellyAlbert
Date: Sun 29 Mar 13:31
Strange that the Fife Labour councillor never got the same coverage, the head of Fife Council severely involved in the case along with a Lochgelly councillor.
FIVE ex-Scottish Labour councillors have been convicted of child sex offences since 2017.
David Graham, 2025 - Sexually abusing a 15 year old girl.
Ewan Dillon, 2024 - Images of girls aged between 5 & 10 being raped.
Craig Edward, 2024 - Indecent images of children.
David Fagan, 2018 - Sharing child rape fantasies online.
Sean Morton, 2017 - Indecent images of children.
Post Edited (Sun 29 Mar 13:34)
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Topic Originator: NMCmassive
Date: Sun 29 Mar 13:35
A few things to unpack here.
First — whataboutery is a logical fallacy, not an argument. Pointing at other wrongdoing doesn’t diminish what happened to those victims in the SNP cases. They deserve better than being used as a political football.
Second, I’ll actually answer your questions directly since you asked: yes, I’d support proper scrutiny of any party’s finances or conduct. The Westminster record on sexual misconduct is appalling and well documented — over 50 MPs reported to the complaints scheme, a 40-page paedophilia dossier that mysteriously vanished from the Home Office, Cyril Smith protected for decades. I’ve got no issue saying that out loud. Can you say the same about the SNP cases? I’m yet to hear it.
Third, your point about Holyrood being held to a higher standard — I’d actually flip that. The SNP spent years positioning itself as a cleaner, more principled alternative to Westminster politics. That was their pitch. When the reality turns out to be victims being called liars, whistleblowers being expelled, and party leadership closing ranks to protect abusers, it’s entirely fair to call that out specifically.
Nobody is saying Westminster is clean. The point is — the SNP isn’t either. And pretending otherwise doesn’t help a single one of those victims.
A distant second point is it certainly doesn’t help the independence movement.
COYP
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Topic Originator: NMCmassive
Date: Sun 29 Mar 13:37
Quote:
LochgellyAlbert, Sun 29 Mar 13:31
Strange that the Fife Labour councillor never got the same coverage, the head of Fife Council severely involved in the case along with a Lochgelly councillor.
FIVE ex-Scottish Labour councillors have been convicted of child sex offences since 2017.
David Graham, 2025 - Sexually abusing a 15 year old girl.
Ewan Dillon, 2024 - Images of girls aged between 5 & 10 being raped.
Craig Edward, 2024 - Indecent images of children.
David Fagan, 2018 - Sharing child rape fantasies online.
Sean Morton, 2017 - Indecent images of children.
Yeah it is strange. It’s something else that boils my blood.
We’re not moving forward as a nation or a society while we cover for these people.
But again as I’ve said-whataboutery is a logical fallacy. Needs binned.
COYP
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Topic Originator: fcda
Date: Sun 29 Mar 14:16
Probably... politics forum for this pihs but..
Quote:
NMCmassive, Sun 29 Mar 13:37
But again as I’ve said-whataboutery is a logical fallacy. Needs binned.
The point being made was more that you don`t appear to have put a thread on the off topic forum about any of these numerous other offences by Labour members. You`ve seen to have only done this when it relates to the SNP.
The poster isn`t suggesting that it`s ok because labour guys did it first, just the apparent bias of your post. A similar bias is evident in mainstream media reporting, like the BBC.
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Topic Originator: NMCmassive
Date: Sun 29 Mar 14:34
Just to be clear — this isn’t me flying a flag for Labour. I’m not voting for them either.
Your point about consistency is fair however someone has to say something to start the conversation, just carrying on regardless doesn’t change anything. Not saying something about the immediate one because nobody spoke about the previous one… how do we get change if we do t say enough is enough? But here’s my frustration — the SNP have built their entire brand on being different. Cleaner. More principled. The party that actually cares. And their supporters have enthusiastically repeated that for years.
So when it’s Salmond, then Mackay, then Grady, then Walker, then Linden — case after case, cover up after cover up — and the response from some is still to immediately pivot to Nigel Farage’s son’s bank account… that’s exactly the kind of deflection that lets it keep happening.
I’m not saying Labour or the Tories are clean. They’re not, and those cases deserve scrutiny too. But I’m absolutely exhausted watching the SNP lurch from one scandal to the next while their supporters tie themselves in knots avoiding the obvious conclusion — that this is a pattern, not a coincidence.
COYP
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Topic Originator: Bletchley_Par
Date: Sun 29 Mar 14:34
In power for 19 years is not healthy for a democratic system, corruption and bad practice eventually set in. The list system is Scotland effectively means permanent politicians and very little renewable.
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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Sun 29 Mar 14:59
Considering they have been democratically elected for these 19 years how do you propose changing it? The list system was supposed to make sure a single party didn`t dominate so without it the SNP would have had an overall majority anyway.
The problem at Holyrood has been the lack of a credible opposition.
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Topic Originator: DBP
Date: Sun 29 Mar 15:00
Agreed Bletchley, the sooner we gain independence the sooner we can vote for whoever’s vision of Scotland we personally believe in.
shame the snp are the only credible vehicle for independence, and if that is something you desire you have to accept all their other policies meantime, because we have to ‘prove’ we are capable of governing ourselves as if we are somehow different to all other nations
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Topic Originator: Bletchley_Par
Date: Sun 29 Mar 15:46
Quote:
Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Sun 29 Mar 14:59
Considering they have been democratically elected for these 19 years how do you propose changing it? The list system was supposed to make sure a single party didn`t dominate so without it the SNP would have had an overall majority anyway.
The problem at Holyrood has been the lack of a credible opposition.
I had not really considered any other solution than the SNP losing power through a democratic vote.
Term limits may allow renewal within parties or at least their representatives, but how workable that would be in practice I have my doubts.
Yes the list system I`m sure was introduced with good or neutral intentions but in practice we have politicians who effectively can`t be voted out of power.
I don`t think it`s lack of a credible opposition that kept the SNP in power, an SNP voter wouldn`t start voting Labour or Tory if they had great politicians and policy.
I think this would happen to any party who had been in power this long.
Post Edited (Sun 29 Mar 15:48)
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