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| Two of Holyrood's ruling committee resign to make way for women | Two of Holyrood's ruling committee resign to make way for women |
| (about 21 hours later) | |
| MSPs leave Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body as critics accuse Nicola Sturgeon of downplaying harassment claims against a former minister | |
| Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent | |
| Thu 9 Nov 2017 21.14 GMT | |
| Last modified on Thu 9 Nov 2017 22.23 GMT | |
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| Two members of the committee that runs the Scottish parliament have stepped down to make way for female representatives, after women from across the Holyrood chamber demanded action at a session to discuss how the parliament deals with sexual harassment. | Two members of the committee that runs the Scottish parliament have stepped down to make way for female representatives, after women from across the Holyrood chamber demanded action at a session to discuss how the parliament deals with sexual harassment. |
| The SNP’s Gordon Macdonald resigned from the Scottish parliamentary corporate body, with the party confirming that his place would be filled be a woman, and the Scottish Greens MSP Andy Wightman announced he would step down as soon as Holyrood had agreed to a mechanism for more gender-balanced appointments. | The SNP’s Gordon Macdonald resigned from the Scottish parliamentary corporate body, with the party confirming that his place would be filled be a woman, and the Scottish Greens MSP Andy Wightman announced he would step down as soon as Holyrood had agreed to a mechanism for more gender-balanced appointments. |
| The moves followed an intense Holyrood session of questions to the all-male SPCB, the group of MSPs that oversees the running of Holyrood, that was entirely taken up by calls for action to tackle harassment. | The moves followed an intense Holyrood session of questions to the all-male SPCB, the group of MSPs that oversees the running of Holyrood, that was entirely taken up by calls for action to tackle harassment. |
| The interventions came predominantly from members elected last year, including the SNP’s Gillian Martin and Scottish Labour’s Monica Lennon, who revealed last weekend how senior party figures had joked about an incident where a powerful official assaulted her in front of colleagues. | The interventions came predominantly from members elected last year, including the SNP’s Gillian Martin and Scottish Labour’s Monica Lennon, who revealed last weekend how senior party figures had joked about an incident where a powerful official assaulted her in front of colleagues. |
| The informal cross-party coalition, which called for an independent audit of reporting procedures, a new code of conduct and even the resignations of all the men on the corporate body itself, was coordinated by Martin and former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale. | The informal cross-party coalition, which called for an independent audit of reporting procedures, a new code of conduct and even the resignations of all the men on the corporate body itself, was coordinated by Martin and former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale. |
| The questioning reflected a simmering anger and a profound concern about how current investigations are being conducted, in particular among the new generation of female MSPs. | The questioning reflected a simmering anger and a profound concern about how current investigations are being conducted, in particular among the new generation of female MSPs. |
| As in Westminster, Holyrood has been hit by allegations of sexual harassment and unacceptable conduct. Scotland’s minister for childcare and early years, Mark McDonald, resigned on Saturday after apologising “unreservedly” for sending an unspecified number of “inappropriate” messages. | As in Westminster, Holyrood has been hit by allegations of sexual harassment and unacceptable conduct. Scotland’s minister for childcare and early years, Mark McDonald, resigned on Saturday after apologising “unreservedly” for sending an unspecified number of “inappropriate” messages. |
| On Thursday at first minister’s questions, Nicola Sturgeon was questioned about his departure. Scottish Labour’s Jackie Bailey asked why the Aberdeenshire politician had resigned as a minister but remained an MSP. | On Thursday at first minister’s questions, Nicola Sturgeon was questioned about his departure. Scottish Labour’s Jackie Bailey asked why the Aberdeenshire politician had resigned as a minister but remained an MSP. |
| Sturgeon said: “Let me be clear that that behaviour was about language not physical conduct. While I think it justified the step Mark McDonald took, let me also make it clear it was not language that came in any way close to something that required to be referred to the police.” | Sturgeon said: “Let me be clear that that behaviour was about language not physical conduct. While I think it justified the step Mark McDonald took, let me also make it clear it was not language that came in any way close to something that required to be referred to the police.” |
| She explained that she was in a difficult position, because offering any further detail in public would compromise the privacy of his accuser. “Women possibly will be discouraged from coming forward if they think that the moment they do every aspect of what they are raising as a concern will be all over the media,” she said. | She explained that she was in a difficult position, because offering any further detail in public would compromise the privacy of his accuser. “Women possibly will be discouraged from coming forward if they think that the moment they do every aspect of what they are raising as a concern will be all over the media,” she said. |
| One of Scotland’s most prominent women’s organisations has raised concerns that the first minister was downplaying the accusations. Sturgeon suggested on Wednesday that McDonald had done the right thing but that “some others may well have thought [his behaviour] was not serious enough to resign”. | One of Scotland’s most prominent women’s organisations has raised concerns that the first minister was downplaying the accusations. Sturgeon suggested on Wednesday that McDonald had done the right thing but that “some others may well have thought [his behaviour] was not serious enough to resign”. |
| Alys Mumford, from the feminist lobbying organisation Engender, said: “At a time when a spotlight is rightly being shone on harassment in politics, we were surprised that the first minister chose to comment in this way. While we don’t know details of the specific complaint, to suggest that some people may not have regarded his resignation as necessary downplays the accusations against him. Women who experience harassment already feel like their concerns may be disbelieved ... and so it is vital that a clear message is sent to women that they will be taken seriously should they make a complaint.” | Alys Mumford, from the feminist lobbying organisation Engender, said: “At a time when a spotlight is rightly being shone on harassment in politics, we were surprised that the first minister chose to comment in this way. While we don’t know details of the specific complaint, to suggest that some people may not have regarded his resignation as necessary downplays the accusations against him. Women who experience harassment already feel like their concerns may be disbelieved ... and so it is vital that a clear message is sent to women that they will be taken seriously should they make a complaint.” |
| Dugdale said she believed that the culture around sexual harassment in Holyrood had worsened since the last Holyrood election in 2016. “I think it’s beyond doubt that in the 2016 intake, the men are older and the women younger, which has changed the dynamic because what is considered acceptable in language and conduct is very different between these generations.” | Dugdale said she believed that the culture around sexual harassment in Holyrood had worsened since the last Holyrood election in 2016. “I think it’s beyond doubt that in the 2016 intake, the men are older and the women younger, which has changed the dynamic because what is considered acceptable in language and conduct is very different between these generations.” |
| Scotland | |
| Nicola Sturgeon | |
| Sexual harassment | |
| news | |
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