A married politician is said to have used the gay dating app Grindr to approach parliamentary staff – with one claiming he sent naked images in which the MSP could be clearly identified
The Scottish Parliament is facing serious questions over claims that a complaint about a senior MSP’s alleged sexual messages to a young assistant were ignored.
The married politician is said to have used the gay dating app Grindr to approach parliamentary staff working in the Holyrood building. One former assistant says he was sent graphic photos, including naked images in which the MSP could be clearly identified.
Despite alerting the HR department in 2018, he says he never saw any sign that action was taken. “The photos were worse than creepy, they were obscene,” the man, who asked not to be named, told the Daily Record. “He was targeting people in the building. There was a faceless profile lurking on gay staff members’ Grindr profiles, it ended up being him”.
The complainant added: “He was operating in a close radius, which was revealed in the app. I was amazed he started off anonymous then very quickly be so open and reveal his face at the same time he sent naked, extreme pornographic stuff. I wasn’t aware of him even being spoken to. I felt it was brushed under the carpet.”
The photos showed the naked MSP in obscene poses and was seen by several other men, it is claimed. The complainant claimed he received a ping from an unknown profile on Grindr, and despite choosing to show only his initials on his profile, the MSP knew who he was, addressing him by his first name in the message.
“I had an initial conversation and knew it was someone nearby. He would have known how close people he was contacting were, within a few yards,” he said. “The next thing a picture came through. The images are burned on my brain. He was in an aroused state and naked. I could see his face. Some were worse. He went from zero to 10 with graphic content in just a few messages.”
The victim told his employer, a prominent MSP, as well as his work friends. He says other gay parliamentary assistants were approached in a similar way by the same MSP through Grindr. He said: “My MSP pushed me to out him. I was in discussions with HR. The right thing to do would be a formal complaint. But I knew he had children. I didn’t want them to be put through that.”
The victim said he flagged the conduct to HR and was told they would speak to the MSP’s business manager. The source said there was “no chance” the MSP’s actions would not have reached party bosses.
He said: “I refuse to believe they wouldn’t have known, given how brazen he was.” A friend, who the man confided in at the time of the photos being sent, said: “The MSP walked past while we were having lunch. He waved over and I knew from my friend’s reaction he was uncomfortable. I saw the photos.
“I couldn’t believe how brazen they were, proper X-rated and offensive. The lingering thoughts I had were about him getting off with it. He was a married man in a position of power very explicitly targeting younger men in junior positions. He should have been stopped in his tracks.”
A Scottish Parliament spokesperson said: “The Parliament takes a zero tolerance approach to harassment in the workplace and any allegations will be taken extremely seriously. This approach has been in place since 2018. Anyone contacting the Parliament’s HR Team regarding harassment is signposted to published information on how to make a complaint and how to access our independent, advocacy and support services.
“In every single case, our team proactively follows up with individuals to check whether they wish to make a formal complaint, whether a complaint has been made and whether any further support is required. This follow up process continues in every instance until a conclusion is reached. All complaints are investigated independently of the Parliament.
“All approaches to us are confidential and it is for individuals to decide with whom we share this information. We do, however, encourage individuals to raise the matter with their employer if they feel able. We also advise individuals that any complaints of a criminal nature should be reported to Police Scotland.”