Baillie calls for Holyrood probe into bugging allegations

Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie has called for Holyrood’s presiding officer to investigate allegations a former SNP staff member bugged the office of the MSP he worked for.

Reports emerged on Thursday that the staff member, who went on to work for an MP and remains an office bearer in a local party association, admitted placing recording devices in the office of his female MSP employer.

The matter had been reported to Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone, but was outside the powers of the Scottish Parliament, due to MSPs’ staff being employed directly by elected members.

But Dame Jackie has urged the presiding officer to step in following the “deeply alarming reports”.

“At a minimum, there has been a shocking violation of trust and an unacceptable breach of standards,” she said in a letter on Friday.

“Worse still, there may have been large-scale, criminal behaviour occurring within the Scottish Parliament estate with no consequences.

“These incidents raise serious questions about the safety of our Parliament and the security of our government.

“In the absence of any action from the SNP or the Government, it is all the more vital that the Scottish Parliament steps up to ensure this is a safe place to work.

“There must be an urgent investigation by the Scottish Parliament into these claims to establish the scale and precise nature of this wrongdoing.”

The Labour deputy leader said the probe should establish “who knew what and when” within the SNP and if staff or members of other parties had been targeted.

If the presiding officer is “unable or unwilling” to launch the probe, then the police must be brought in, Dame Jackie said.

“Everyone working in this building deserves to know that their right to privacy will be upheld and anyone breaching those rights will face consequences,” she said.

“If the Scottish Parliament ignores this behaviour, as the SNP appear to have done, it would be a shameful dereliction of duty and an implicit endorsement of serious misconduct.”

A spokesperson for the SNP rejected any allegations that the party or any of its leaders were aware of the issue, while also supporting calls for a Holyrood investigation.

“It is categorically untrue to state that these allegations were brought to any first minister or asked to be handled under party complaints procedures,” the spokesperson said.

“We support an investigation by the parliamentary authorities to ensure that their processes are fit for purpose and appropriately safeguard all members and their staff.

“We hope any investigation considers these matters alongside the events that have led to two Labour MSPs being suspended amid police investigations and a further Labour MSP resigning her front-bench position due to her links to a convicted sex offender.”

The Scottish Parliament has been approached for comment.