A Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament has been instructed to issue a formal apology after being found in breach of bullying regulations. The Parliamentary Complaints Service upheld a complaint against Angus MacDonald, the MP for Inverness, following an incident last year involving a contractor.

According to the complaint, MacDonald forcibly took a security pass from the contractor, reportedly pulling it with such force that the individual was tilted forward. The contractor’s allegation was initially substantiated by Parliament’s complaints service. MacDonald subsequently appealed the decision.

An independent panel later reviewed the appeal and rejected it, reinforcing the original finding of misconduct. The panel emphasized the presence of a “significant power imbalance” between the MP and the contractor in the situation. As a result, MacDonald has been ordered to provide an “unreserved apology in writing” to the contractor involved.

The ruling serves as a reminder of the professional standards expected of MPs when interacting with parliamentary staff and contractors. The Liberal Democrat MP did not provide a public comment following the decision.