Bullying row cop watchdog keeps his job
But his behaviour is slated by MSPs
THE beleaguered chairman of Scotland’s police watchdog clung on to his job yesterday despite MSPs blasting him for behaving “inappropriately”.
Holyrood’s public audit committee raised “very serious concerns” about Scottish Police Authority chairman Andrew Flanagan.
Convener Jackie Baillie wrote to Justice Secretary Michael Matheson about Flanagan’s behaviour and the standard of governance at the organisation.
The scathing letter came a day after former board member Moi Ali gave evidence to the committee in which she claimed Flanagan was a sexist bully who is unfit for the job.
The committee’s letter states “it appears to us that Mr Flanagan treated Ms Ali in an inappropriate manner, to the degree that she felt obliged to resign from the board. We would be extremely worried if any potential members of the SPA board (or of any public board) were to be dissuaded from applying because they felt they would not be able to offer appropriate criticism and challenge”.
It adds that the SPA’s problems lie with transparency and accountability, and criticised decisions to hold private “members’ meetings” to discuss governance without any public notes.
It said some decisions on basic operational matters had been “inexplicable”.
And the letter stresses the need to improve diversity on the “male-dominated” SPA board. The SPA said they were listening to “public and civic concerns”.