Councillor Tracy Carragher has been readmitted to the Scottish National Party (SNP) after being suspended following the conviction of Jordan Linden, a former colleague and convicted sex abuser. Carragher had been suspended by SNP leader John Swinney and removed as a candidate for the Holyrood election.
Linden was found guilty in March of ten charges involving five young men and boys over a decade. He is currently serving an 18-month sentence and will be on the sex offenders’ register for ten years. Carragher had served as a defense witness for Linden during his trial. She had previously taken over as leader of the SNP group on North Lanarkshire Council from Linden in 2022 after he resigned when allegations of sexual offenses against him emerged.
Another former SNP councillor, Cameron McManus, who reported Linden to the police in 2023, claimed he had been harassed by Linden. McManus stated that he had confided in Carragher about his experiences in 2022, but alleged that she took no action.
The North Lanarkshire SNP Group announced that Carragher's administrative suspension was lifted following an independent investigation. The investigation, conducted by an independent advocate and barrister, concluded that evidence supported Carragher’s position that no complaint requiring action was communicated to her and that she did not cover up any complaint concerning Linden.
Carragher had been slated to stand as a regional list candidate in Central Scotland and Lothians West for the Holyrood election and was also removed as leader of the council’s SNP group. The SNP group statement noted that Carragher faced significant public, political, and personal consequences due to allegations that an independent investigation has now rejected. The Group reaffirmed its confidence in Carragher as SNP Group Leader and indicated it would consider steps to correct the public record.
Reacting to the news of Carragher's reinstatement, McManus expressed deep disappointment, stating that the process had caused significant stress and damage to him and his colleagues. He indicated he was considering how to move forward.
Linden was jailed at Falkirk Sheriff Court in May. Sheriff Christopher Shead imposed an 18-month sentence for the most serious charge, the sexual assault of a sleeping acquaintance. Concurrent sentences were issued for other charges, including the sexual assault of a young SNP activist at a Pride party in Dundee in 2019. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years. Court proceedings revealed that one of Linden's victims was 17 years old, and he had also sexually harassed a 14-year-old boy. Jurors heard evidence of inappropriate touching, sending explicit selfies, and attempts to unfasten victims' clothing. The court also heard of instances where Linden entered beds or bunks with victims and tried to pull at their belts and waistbands.