Justice minister accused of misleading Holyrood
Matheson told to consider position amid police row
Justice secretary Michael Matheson was yesterday urged to ‘consider his position’ after being accused of misleading parliament over the crisis surrounding the chief constable’s leave.
Mr Matheson’s account of a crucial meeting with scottish Police Authority bosses was put in doubt after claims he told them it was a ‘bad decision’ for Phil Gormley to return to work.
the sNP minister has repeatedly claimed he was forced to intervene following the sPA decision to allow Mr Gormley to resume his position at the head of Police scotland, despite a number of ongoing investigations into bullying allegations.
Mr Matheson has said he simply asked the watchdog whether it had informed the complainants, the acting chief constable iain Livingstone and the Police investigations and Review commissioner (PiRc), of the decision – which it had not.
But yesterday former sPA chairman Andrew Flanagan said that Mr Matheson had, in fact, told him he did not support the conclusion reached by the board.
He said Mr Matheson only mentioned the process, rather than the decision, in a second meeting after ‘consulting’ government officials.
Mr Flanagan claimed it was ‘clear’ Mr Matheson did not want the chief constable to return from special leave, which he has been on since september.
Mr Gormley has strongly denied any wrongdoing, with his wife, claire, telling the scottish Daily Mail he has been ‘vilified’.
Following the latest claims, Labour justice spokesman Daniel Johnson said: ‘Mr Matheson misled parliament, telling the chamber that he had only raised concerns about the decisionmaking process, not the decision to reinstate Phil Gormley itself.
‘it is clear that Michael Matheson has behaved inappropriately for a cabinet secretary, repeatedly obscuring the true details of exactly what happened in his meeting, or as it now has been revealed, meetings, with Andrew Flanagan, and he now must consider his position in the cabinet.’
Mr Flanagan was quizzed by MsPs on Holyrood’s public audit and post-legislative scrutiny committee yesterday where he said he felt he had ‘no choice’ but to ‘pause’ Mr Gormley’s return to his post, despite already informing him he could get back to work.
Mr Flanagan told the committee all the board members at the sPA meeting on November 7 decided Mr Gormley could come back. ‘Having reached that conclusion i wanted to advise the cabinet secretary of that,’ Mr Flanagan said. He had met Mr Matheson and ‘explained the circumstances’, adding: ‘He told me he thought it was a bad decision.’
An sPA decision due yesterday on whether Mr Gormley should return from leave has yet to be made public, but it is understood the leave will be renewed.
scottish tory leader Ruth Davidson accused Mr Matheson of having ‘leaned on’ police bosses over the decision to allow Mr Gormley to return to work. it came after Nicola sturgeon had insisted he had not asked Mr Flanagan to change his decision.
Last night, a spokesman for the chief constable’s legal team said the evidence to the committee ‘is of serious concern’.
He added: ‘the chief constable’s professional reputation, career and welfare have been eclipsed by a public battle of wills between the sPA and the scottish Government. it demonstrates the present system for investigating complaints against the chief constable is unworkable and requires a fundamental review.’