SNP Leader John Swinney Condemns Alleged Office Bugging Incident at Holyrood
In 2023, an incident reportedly occurred at Holyrood, the Scottish Parliament, involving a male staffer allegedly planting a secret recording device in the office of a female MSP. The female MSP involved has not been named publicly. Officials are currently investigating the matter.
According to a report by The Scotsman, the staffer in question remained with the SNP after the issue came to light and later moved to work with a male MP. A senior party source cited by Sky News claimed that the SNP took no action, moving and promoting the staffer within senior ranks, though Sky News has not independently verified these details.
SNP leader John Swinney condemned the conduct as completely unacceptable and called for openness and transparency in employment matters. Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie described the allegations as jaw-dropping and said they raise serious questions for SNP leadership.
An SNP spokesperson stated that the party has no involvement in the employment processes of individual parliamentarians, emphasizing that such matters are confidential between MSPs, their employees, and Scottish Parliament authorities. A Scottish Parliament spokesperson added that MSPs are the employers of their staff and that complaints are handled by an independent adviser, noting that it is standard practice not to comment on individual cases.
The report also notes that victims required counselling following the incident.
