THE SNP is recruiting for a new “complaints officer” after a series of controversies over the conduct of senior figures in the party.
The post-holder would be responsible for managing complaints to the SNP, as well as acting as a point of contact for complainants.
The advertisement states that the successful candidate would “complement the work of the national secretary, responsible for discipline within the party”.
The move follows a number of complaints involving prominent SNP figures in recent years, including former leader Alex Salmond, former finance secretary Derek Mackay, former early years minister Mark McDonald, former Westminster chief whip Patrick Grady, and the MP Margaret Ferrier.
Salmond, Mackay and McDonald are no longer in the party, with the former first minister now leading Alba.
Ferrier sits as an independent MP while Grady continues to sit as as SNP MP.
Questions were asked about the SNP’s complaints process during the Holyrood inquiry into the Scottish Government’s handling of harassment allegations against Salmond, who successfully took the administration to court over allegations made against him by two civil servants.
The court ruled that the government's investigation was unlawful and tainted by "apparent bias".
An SNP spokesman told the Press & Journal, which reported on the plans to hire a complaints officer today.
He said: “We are building up our headquarters team with a couple of new posts to directly support the local government convener and the national secretary.
“New posts for our independence task force will be advertised shortly.”
SNP chief executive Peter Murrell faced questions about the party’s complaints procedures while giving evidence to the harassment committee in Holyrood in December.
The rules, which Murrell said dated back to 2004, gave the national secretary the “sole ability” to decide whether a complaint should be sent to the member conduct committee.
Asked at the time whether changes would be made to the process, Murrell said: “It will be looked at. We have been through a constitutional review in the interim, and the disciplinary rules have not changed, but that is not a fixed position.
“At any point, we could look at the rules and think that they need to be changed, sharpened up or whatever, so that is an option.”
Grady stood down in April from his role as chief whip following sexual harassment allegations.
He was named as being at the centre of the claims, with his party late confirming an investigation was underway.
Letters obtained exclusively by Herald detail concerns about his behaviour at the SNP Christmas party on December 15, 2016, at London’s Phoenix Artist Club.
An SNP spokesman confirmed in April that Grady, the MP for Glasgow North, had “stood aside” from his role as chief whip, adding: “The SNP has today received a formal complaint.
“That now allows due process to take placed and we will not be commenting further while an investigation is under way.”
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