SCOTTISH Labour’s deputy leader Jackie Baillie has written to the SNP asking them to prevent MP Patrick Grady from campaigning in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.
The SNP Westminster parliamentarian was seen campaigning for the party in the South Lanarkshire constituency on Wednesday.
Grady apologised in Parliament after being found to have acted inappropriately towards a party staffer.
He had the SNP whip restored in December following a six-month suspension.
Baillie wrote to Humza Yousaf and SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn on the matter.
She said: “Mr Grady’s behaviour clearly fell well below the standard required of MPs and will have caused concern among many members of the public.
READ MORE: Jackie Baillie 'one of best and sharpest political minds in UK', Wes Streeting says
“While I understand that you have seen fit to allow such a man as Mr Grady to regain the SNP whip, I am sure that a great many Scots – including his accuser – may find his continual presence in frontline politics a source of distress.
“Today I am asking you both to consider preventing Mr Grady from representing the SNP by appearing at doorsteps in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, and to re-examine your failure to properly deal with his behaviour.
“In an area currently experiencing a by-election due to the misconduct of another SNP MP, I am sure that you understand that the presence of a disgraced SNP politician on their doorstep sends a message to the people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West that their needs are secondary to the SNP’s political self-interest.”
An SNP spokesperson said: "Patrick Grady made a serious error of judgement in 2016 and has since apologised.
"The independent parliamentary complaints process concluded that an apology, alongside a time-limited suspension, was the appropriate course of action. The SNP Group in Westminster applied the same sanction whilst the SNP suspended Mr Grady."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel