MP for the Borders, John Lamont, has written to local MSP, Christine Grahame, to question her position on the SNP’s handling of sexual harassment allegations in the party’s Westminster group.
In March 2021, Mr Lamont wrote to SNP group leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford MP, raising questions about the handling of sexual harassment allegations. Mr Lamont resent an updated letter to Mr Blackford on Monday 20 June after a shocking audio recording of Mr Blackford and other SNP MPs pledging their support to sexual harassment perpetrator, Patrick Grady MP, was circulated by the media.
Today, the Borders MP has written to the SNP’s Christine Grahame MSP to raise constituents’ concerns regarding the position of their local representative on sexual harassment.
John Lamont MP is concerned about the implications of the SNP MPs’ unwavering support for the perpetration of sexual harassment by their colleague. Mr Lamont is particularly concerned about how the SNP’s attitude to sexual harassment will influence victims’ willingness to report their experiences. As a result, Mr Lamont has written to Christine Grahame MSP to ask her whether she is standing by her SNP colleagues in accepting sexual harassment.
John Lamont MP said:
“I was horrified to hear SNP MPs loudly voicing their support for Patrick Grady MP in the press this week. There is no place for sexual harassment in politics or wider society.
“Today, I have written to Christine Grahame MSP to ask her, as a representative of part of the Borders, whether she shares the view of party colleagues.
“It is deeply hypocritical for SNP MPs to take the moral high ground in public, then when they think they are behind closed doors, show their support for someone found to have sexually harassed a staff member.”