HOLYROOD's Standards Committee has recommended that shamed former minister Mark McDonald be suspended from the Scottish Parliament without pay for one month after a harassment investigation.
The committee announced the sanction after considering a report by the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life, which was asked to investigate McDonald's conduct after SNP MSP James Dornan made an official complaint in March.
Committee convener Clare Haughey said the committee agreed with the findings of the commissioner that McDonald breached the code of conduct for MSPs by failing to treat one woman with respect and that his conduct towards her "involved sexual harassment".
She said the committee also agreed with the finding that he had failed to treat a second witness with respect "in relation to a financial matter".
Philip Sim, from the BBC, tweeted the messages sent by McDonald to a female staffer.
These are the messages Mark McDonald sent to a female staffer. Ethics watchdog has ruled that this constitutes sexual harassment; Mr McDonald now faces a month's suspension without pay pic.twitter.com/GXlwngxqs0
— Philip Sim (@BBCPhilipSim) June 21, 2018
Before the recommended sanction can be applied it will need to be agreed by the full Parliament through a motion in the chamber.
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