We’ve lost all faith in you, MSPs tell ‘bully’ police boss
SCOTLAND’S beleaguered police watchdog faced a fresh crisis yesterday as MSPs said they had no confidence in its chairman’s leadership. Two Holyrood committees criticised Scottish Police Authority (SPA) chairman Andrew Flanagan – who has been accused of running the quango like the Kremlin.
The justice subcommittee on policing said Mr Flanagan’s testimony to MSPs last week had been ‘frankly inadequate’.
Its members said they ‘do not have confidence in his leadership’ – while the public audit committee also voiced ‘serious concerns’ last
‘He must consider his position’
night over his conduct. The attacks heap fresh pressure on Mr Flanagan and Justice Secretary Michael Matheson, who has not removed Mr Flanagan from his post despite controversies.
The SPA was plunged into crisis when former board member Moi Ali claimed she had been effectively bullied out of her job by Mr Flanagan for blowing the whistle on the SPA’s secrecy culture – a charge he denies.
Mr Flanagan emailed an apology to Miss Ali about an hour before being grilled by MSPs last week – but the justice subcommittee questioned its sincerity.
The convener of the justice subcommittee on policing, Mary Fee, said: ‘Mr Flanagan’s testimony to the sub-committee was frankly inadequate and we do not have confidence in his leadership.
‘Though he was apologetic, we are not confident he accepts he was wrong.’
The report said the row over Miss Ali had been ‘deeply damaging to the reputation of the SPA’ and it was ‘deeply regrettable that Mr Flanagan… did not seek to resolve this matter in person with Moi Ali before she felt it necessary to resign’.
The subcommittee said it noted Mr Flanagan’s apology to Miss Ali – but also that it was ‘written two days before the subcommittee’s evidence session and emailed on the day of the session’.
Jackie Baillie, acting convener of the public audit committee, said: ‘Our committee heard serious concerns about the SPA and Mr Flanagan’s behaviour over a number of meetings. It’s our duty to carry out proper scrutiny of public bodies, especially when major issues have been raised.’
Miss Ali said: ‘Andrew Flanagan has lost the confidence of MSPs of all political persuasions.
‘Now he must consider his position and put the SPA’s reputation ahead of his personal ambitions.
‘If he fails to do that, the Cabinet Secretary [Mr Matheson] must intervene.’
Mr Flanagan has also been criticised for failing to pass on a letter critical of the quango from another watchdog – Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland – to other board members.
Mr Flanagan said: ‘I and the SPA board will consider this report [from the justice subcommittee] very carefully. I remain focused on building a broad consensus around my continuing leadership of the SPA, and my contribution to a stable and collaborative leadership within policing as a whole.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We note the findings of the report and will consider its conclusions carefully.’
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