A bully, a sexist and unfit to hold his police post
Ex-board member tears into authority chairman
THE head of Scotland’s beleaguered police watchdog was yesterday branded a sexist bully who is unfit to hold his post.
Scottish Police Authority chairman Andrew Flanagan was slated in damning evidence to MSPs by former board member Moi Ali.
Ali resigned earlier this year after raising concerns over transparency at the organisation, set up to monitor and evaluate Police Scotland’s performance.
She fell out with Flanagan after publicly objecting to proposals to hold committee meetings in private.
Flanagan responded with a letter expressing his dissatisfaction with Ali and claiming it was no longer “fair to you or to your fellow board members for you to participate in the committees”.
Ali – who quit the board shortly afterwards – told Holyrood’s public audit committee she did not believe such a letter would have been sent to a man. She said: “My removal from committees was, in my view, straightforward punishment for speaking out.”
Asked by Labour MSP Monica Lennon if Flanagan’s letter amounted to bullying, Ali said: “Yes. I believe that it did.
“A good leader, if he had any concerns, would surely speak to an individual. I think all of us would do that. To write a letter of that nature, it’s hard to find another word to what it amounts to.”
Asked if she thought Flanagan was fit to continue as chair, Ali said: “I am afraid I don’t.
“I think he is actually not fit to continue on any public board because he clearly does not observe public-sector values.”
Scottish Labour justice spokeswoman Claire Baker MSP said: “These are serious and damning reports from Moi Ali, highlighting the poor management and lack of leadership at the top of the SPA.
“Reports of bullying of any kind must always be fully investigated.”
A spokeswoman for the SPA said: “Moi Ali tendered her resignation from the board of the SPA and her reasons are documented and publicly available – at no point was bullying alleged and the chair rejects this suggestion.”
In December, the SPA backed a new “governance framework” that critics claim fails to meet basic standards on transparency.
They moved to private committee meetings and began only publishing board papers on the day of a meeting.