A former rising star of the SNP has been charged over multiple alleged sex offences.
Jordan Linden, who was briefly leader of North Lanarkshire Council, was arrested and released on Wednesday, the Herald understands.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A 28-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a number of non-recent sexual offences committed at various locations in Scotland.
"A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”
Mr Linden stood down from his £45,000-a-year job as council leader a few weeks after the SNP won control of North Lanarkshire from Labour at the 2022 local election.
His resignation as council leader led to the collapse of the SNP administration in North Lanarkshire amid bitter party infighting, and Labour regained control of the authority.
The North Lanarkshire SNP group suffered mass resignations and seven former SNP councillors now sit as “Progressive Change for North Lanarkshire”.
Mr Linden left the council altogether in March last year and is no longer a party member.
His exit led to a by-election which Labour won on first preference votes alone, despite Humza Yousaf campaigning in the ward for SNP candidate Joe Budd.
Mr Linden is the cousin of David Linden, the SNP MP for Glasgow East.
In 2019, Jordan Linden attempted to join his cousin in the Commons by running for the SNP general election candidacy in Coatbridge before pulling out for “my own health & well-being”.
His candidacy bid was endorsed by Mr Yousaf, who said Mr Linden was “not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get stuff done”, while children’s minister Maree Todd praised his “work ethic”.
An SNP spokesperson said: “While we cannot comment on live proceedings, if any SNP members are impacted by this then we want to make clear that we are here to support them as best we can.”
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