FORMER SNP council leader Jordan Linden has been jailed for 18 months for multiple sex offences against young men and teenagers.

The one-time North Lanarkshire Council leader resigned in July 2022 as allegations surfaced, finally appearing in March at Falkirk Sheriff Court on charges of 10 separate offences carried out between 2011 and 2021, including five sexual assaults.

Sheriff Christopher Shead sentenced Mr Linden to 18 months in prison and 10 years on the sex offenders’ register today.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “This was a sex predator who assaulted and harassed young men and boys over a decade, with complaints being made to SNP HQ during that time.

“They will breathe a sigh of relief that Linden has been sentenced for his heinous crimes — but it does not excuse the years of cover-up from the SNP.”

First Minister John Swinney, who ordered a review of SNP complaints handling, insisted: “We have already strengthened complaints handling within the SNP, I consider it to be robust.

“But I want independent scrutiny to determine whether it is sufficiently robust.”