Nicola Sturgeon says it would be "inappropriate" to comment on sexual harassment allegations being upheld against two SNP MPs

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Nicola Sturgeon has claimed it would be “deeply inappropriate” to comment on reports two SNP MPs have had complaints of sexual harassment upheld against them.

The First Minister also dodged the question of whether Patrick Grady and Patricia Gibson should be suspended. As revealed by the Daily Record last year, a male SNP staffer at Westminster alleged sexual harassment by the two parliamentarians in London.

He said Grady, MP for Glasgow North, had touched him in the city’s Water Poet pub in 2016, and claimed that North Ayrshire and Arran MP Gibson had pestered him in Westminster’s Strangers Bar four years later.She has vehemently denied the claims.A investigation was started by Westminster authorities and the Sunday Times reported at the weekend that sexual harassment complaints against both MPs had been upheld.The matter has now been referred to an independent panel.Asked at her party’s council election manifesto launch for her reaction to the complaints of sexual harassment being upheld, and whether the MPs would be suspended, Sturgeon said:“Obviously I’m aware of the press reports around this.Our front page exclusive in March last year told of how a young SNP staffer at Westminster had made complaints of sexual harassment against two MPs.He alleged that one MP, later revealed to be the then chief whip Patrick Grady, had touched him inappropriately as a 19 year old in London’s Water Poet bar in 2016.He also alleged another MP had pestered him in Westminster’s Strangers’ Bar in January 2020.Patricia Gibson, who represents North Ayrshire and Arran, is the MP at the centre of the latter claims, which she denies.