Patrick Grady

Patrick Grady was found to have made an "unwanted sexual advance" to a member of party staff in 2016 - but the punishment was reduced because the ...

However the length of the suspension was shortened because, the panel said, the complainant "breached confidentiality repeatedly" in an attempt to discredit Mr Grady leading to "intrusive press activities and abuse on social media". The independent expert panel recommended that Mr Grady should be suspended from the House for two days for making an "unwanted sexual advance" to a member of party staff at a work social event in a pub in 2016. Patrick Grady was found to have made an "unwanted sexual advance" to a member of party staff in 2016 - but the punishment was reduced because the complainant was said to have breached confidentiality leading to "abuse on social media".

Patrick Grady should be suspended from Commons for 'unwanted physical touching with sexual intent', watchdog says.

“However, for all the reasons we have set out, in this case it should be short, and will be somewhat shorter than it might have been by reference to the breaches of confidentiality by the complainant. “I apologise to the complainant without reservation for my behaviour and for the distress and upset it has caused him.” He resigned from the role after the story of the complaint was reported by the Daily Record.

The report advises a two-day suspension after Mr Grady stroked a junior staff member's 'neck, hair and back'

The complainant told the panel that he felt “ambushed” at a meeting facilitated by Ian Blackford, the SNP’s Westminster leader, in February 2018 when Mr Grady apologised. “Great disparities of status and power exist. “If confidentiality is not maintained, there is a real concern that valid complaints will not be laid, and that witnesses will not be prepared to give their evidence,” the panel said. It concluded that: “an unwanted physical touching, with sexual intent, from a senior MP to a junior member of staff, even on a single occasion, is a significant breach of the policy. It was found that while the touching was not “intimate”, it was “nevertheless clearly sexual in intent and manner, and clearly inappropriate.” Where a considerable disparity of age and experience is added into the mix, it will be highly problematic to initiate a sexual relationship without the risk that there is no true mutuality.”

SNP MP Patrick Grady should be suspended from the Commons for two days for an "unwanted sexual advance" to a junior staff member in a pub, a parliamentary ...

It must be marked by some period of suspension from the House. The IEP concluded: "An unwanted physical touching, with sexual intent, from a senior MP to a junior member of staff, even on a single occasion, is a significant breach of the policy. NP MP Patrick Grady should be suspended from the Commons for two days for an "unwanted sexual advance" to a junior staff member in a pub, a parliamentary watchdog has said.