SNP MSP James Dornan makes formal complaint over Mark McDonald’s return to parliament

An SNP MSP has made a formal complaint over Mark McDonald’s return to work after an SNP investigation into the former children's minister's “inappropriate behaviour towards women”.

Aberdeen Donside MSP McDonald is due back in parliament after he quit the SNP in the wake of the scandal, but Glasgow Cathcart MSP James Dornan said his presence would be a “clear negation” of the parliament’s duty to its staff.

In a letter to the Standards Committee, Dornan suggested McDonald’s behaviour had contributed towards the poor health of a member of staff.

“In my view having Mr McDonald in the same workplace as his victims would be a clear negation of the duty of care that the Parliament has to all its members of staff,” he said.

There has been mounting pressure on McDonald to resign his seat and trigger a by-election since the former children’s minister apologised and declared his intention to remain as an independent last week.

He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland: “Morally I can justify it because, as I have said, my approach to this has been to own the mistakes that I have made but to demonstrate that I have learned from them and that I am capable of changing as a result of those.”

But among the voices calling for him to stand down has been First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Willie Rennie said: “Mark McDonald’s behaviour has been unacceptable, as it would be in any workplace.

“Over the weekend, more shocking details of the toll his actions had on the women affected have gradually emerged. Retaining his position is untenable."

Scottish Labour Parliamentary Business Manager Rhoda Grant said: “The SNP has so far refused to publish its investigation into Mark McDonald’s behaviour.

“Given some of his former colleagues are trying to ban him from getting into the building it is now absolutely essential that its findings are released, in a redacted form to protect the women involved, as well as handed to the police.”

Speaking to Holyrood last week, McDonald said: “I want to come back and demonstrate yes to colleagues, yes to constituents, but also to my kids that this wasn’t all that I was. That this wasn’t the sum of me, because otherwise this will be their truth.”