Decision due on investigation into former minister

A POWERFUL Holyrood committee will today decide its next steps in the investigation over shamed former minister Mark McDonald.

The standards committee will consider whether to begin a probe into a complaint about him by Glasgow Cathcart MSP James Dornan or to ask the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life to investigate.

It comes amid renewed calls for the SNP to hand over its own report into the actions of Mr McDonald, who has stood down from the party, to the standards committee.

Mr Dornan submitted his complaint to committee convener Clare Haughey earlier this week.

He revealed a female staff member repeatedly told him of her distress about the married father-oftwo’s conduct and described an incident when she asked to be escorted out of a parliament event because she feared he ‘was waiting for her’. The three SNP, two Tory, one Labour and one Green MSP on the committee are expected to discuss the case in private today before announcing their decision on the next steps.

Ahead of the meeting, Conservative MSP Michelle Ballantyne said: ‘This is the first time a complaint has been made to the Scottish parliament regarding the conduct of Mr McDonald.

‘This complaint has only been made because the SNP have totally mishandled the whole affair.’

An SNP spokesman said: ‘With only 5 per cent of those who have experienced sexual harassment at Holyrood feeling able to come forward, it is vital that complaints of this nature are seen to be properly and fully investigated by the parliamentary authorities.’