'Insufficient evidence of wrongdoing' in Kenny Gibson bullying complaints, says SNP

Kenny Gibson became Holyrood’s presiding officer in May (Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament/PA)

The bullying allegations against Kenny Gibson “provided insufficient evidence of wrongdoing”, the SNP has said after it was accused of failing to take action.

The Nationalists said that “concerns were raised with the party” about Holyrood’s presiding officer and these were “thoroughly investigated” - but “no disciplinary action was taken.”

It comes after the Sunday Mail reported that a dossier of complaints has been sent to SNP bosses by solicitors. The SNP had been accused of failing to take action.

Cunninghame North MSP Mr Gibson had represented the SNP in the Scottish Parliament for more than two decades before becoming presiding officer after May’s election.

An SNP spokesperson said: “The SNP has a zero-tolerance approach to bullying in any form and takes any allegations seriously.

"Concerns were raised with the party and were thoroughly investigated. They provided insufficient evidence of any wrongdoing and as such no disciplinary action was taken."

Two SNP officials in Mr Gibson’s constituency were said to have resigned over his alleged behaviour.

Another 19 members, activists, and councillors signed a letter complaining about him June 2019.

The complainants were advised to send statements to independent solicitor Lesley Johnston at law firm Kennedys Scotland.

Mr Gibson became the Scottish Parliament’s presiding officer in May. The job pays £130,000 a year.

A senior Scottish Government minister said on Sunday that the SNP took the bullying allegations against Mr Gibson “very seriously”.

Ivan McKee said that “anything would be fully investigated” by the party.

The Cabinet Secretary for Public Sector Reform told BBC Scotland’s The Sunday Show: “The party takes these kind of allegations very seriously. Of course, it does, and anything would be fully investigated.

“Now, I'm not involved in running the party specifically that level, but I think it's very clear that the party, of course, would take these allegations very seriously.”