Ex-council leader jailed for sexual assaults, stalking and abuse of boys

Jordan Linden’s rise through North Lanarkshire politics ended only after allegations surfaced, but the question now is why the warnings did not force earlier action. The former council leader was jailed for 18 months after a Falkirk Sheriff Court jury found him guilty of 10 offences against boys and young men, including five sexual assaults, stalking and sexual communication offences.

Police Scotland said the youngest victim was 14 and that the offending took place over a decade, from 2011 to 2021. One of the most serious incidents involved two victims at a house party in Dundee after a Pride march in 2019, underlining how wide-ranging the abuse was and how long it remained hidden from public view.

Linden stepped down as leader of North Lanarkshire Council in July 2022 after allegations emerged, and police did not publicly confirm until May 2023 that they were investigating a sex assault allegation against him. He was 30 when he was convicted in March 2026, and his sentencing on 6 May capped a case that has left difficult questions about oversight, internal complaints handling and the protections that allowed him to remain in office until the scandal broke.

The fallout reached beyond one council chamber. Reporting on the case said Linden’s resignation helped bring down the SNP administration in North Lanarkshire, exposing the political damage that can follow when allegations are not addressed quickly and transparently. Linden later left the Scottish National Party in 2024, but the institutional consequences of his conduct were already clear.

His background added to the shock. He had previously been chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament and had been involved with the SNP youth wing, Young Scots for Independence, positions that placed him close to young people and public life while the abuse was unfolding. For the victims, the case leaves behind not just criminal convictions but a reminder of how easily vulnerable boys and young men can be failed when power, reputation and party loyalty shield an abuser for years.