Claims about bugging at parly 'must be probed'

FORMER MP Joanna Cherry has doubled down on the “bugging” scandal at Holyrood, despite the Presiding Officer saying that “no covert devices were involved”.

- BY BEN BORLAND

The extraordinary story broke on Thursday, just as MSPs were rushing home for Christmas. It emerged that a female SNP MSP had asked for support after a male staffer “bugged” her office.

Although the incident occurred in 2023, when Humza Yousaf was party leader, the MSP involved only spoke to Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone this year after the allegations against ex-Labour MSP Colin Smyth.

Meanwhile, a report in the Scottish Sun said two more female MSPs believe they had been “bugged” by male aides — one while Nicola Sturgeon was leading the party and the other while John Swinney was in charge.

In response to calls for a probe from Scottish Labour, Ms Johnstone wrote to say that the parliamentary authorities knew of two “historic” cases.