Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury whip withdrawn following complaint by Holyrood staffer …
By Democrat reporter
A Labour MSP has been suspended by his party after claims of sexual harassment were made against him by a young woman.
Foysol Choudhury is facing the allegation after a complaint was lodged by a member of the Holyrood staff.
The leaked news comes on the eve of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s keynote speech today (Tuesday) to the Labour conference in Liverpool.
A Labour spokesperson said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously.
“They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken.”
It emerged at the weekend that Choudhury is sitting as an independent MSP after he was suspended over an allegation of inappropriate conduct.
However, no details of the nature of the claims were provided by the party.
Sources have told journalists the complaint by the parliament staffer includes an allegation of sexual harassment.
It is understood the woman was passed on to Labour’s UK-wide complaints process.
Choudhury is the second Labour MSP to have been suspended in the last few weeks.
South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth was charged earlier this month with possession of indecent images of children.
We later revealed he has also been charged in connection with a secret camera in a Holyrood bathroom.
Smyth’s parliamentary pass was deactivated and Holyrood staff have been offered counselling as a result of the claims.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said he could not compromise the “independent process” around Choudhury’s investigation, which means he refused to comment.
Pressed on whether he knew the nature of the allegation, Sarwar said: “I’m sharing with you exactly what I do know, the reason why it’s right that I don’t know, and it’s right that I know at the appropriate time.
He also denied the party had a problem with the behaviour of some of its MSPs: “When issues come up, we take swift action.
“When we became aware of the nature of the investigation against Colin Smyth, we suspended him immediately. Now he sits as an independent MSP.
“Now that we have had complaints come in about Foysol Choudhury and they merit an investigation, we’ve moved swiftly, the same day to suspend him and he now sits as an independent MSP.
“We take swift action when it’s appropriate.”
The Labour website states: “At the Labour Party we take complaints very seriously and will do our best to address any concerns raised. Through the effective handling of complaints we aim to ensure the rules of the party are upheld and the party provides a place where members feel comfortable to engage in political activity and debate in a welcoming environment.
“Fairness is at the heart of everything we do in the Labour Party, and a robust procedure for dealing with complaints is vital in order to ensure all our members are treated fairly. We hope you won’t have cause for complaint, but if you do we aim to deal with the concern in a prompt, transparent and fair manner.”
Choudhury, who was elected to the Lothian region in 2021, was born in Bangladesh and his family later settled in Scotland.
The 56-year-old has been involved in the Edinburgh and Lothian Regional Equality Council (ELREC) for decades and co-founded the Edinburgh Mela festival.
He was Labour’s deputy spokesperson on culture, Europe and International Development. He was recently re-selected as a Labour candidate for next year’s Holyrood election.
After the suspension became public on Saturday, SNP MP Kirsty Blackman said: “Anas Sarwar must urgently come clean on the reasons why yet another Labour Party MSP has been suspended, shortly after Colin Smyth.
“The public deserve full transparency. Given the long list of scandals that have rocked the Labour Party recently – with Foysol Choudhury, Colin Smyth, Peter Mandelson, Morgan McSweeney, Paul Ovenden and Angela Rayner all caught up in the last month alone – voters deserve answers.
“Whatever the explanation, with yet another scandal, there’s no doubt the Labour Party is in crisis.”