The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Police watchdog chief quits amid bullying claims
Under-fire chairman has blamed the press for decision to call it a day
The beleaguered chief of Police Scotland’s watchdog has quit after following bullying and secrecy scandals.
Andrew Flanagan announced his resignation as chairman of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) – and blamed the press for his decision.
Moi Ali resigned from the board in February after Mr Flanagan told her in a letter she should not be part of the organisation’s private committees after she said they should be heard in public.
She told Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee that she felt bullied by Mr Flanagan, a perception he disputed.
In the letter, the police chairman told Ms Ali people with such disagreements “would normally consider resigning” and that he believed it was not “fair to you or to your fellow board members for you to participate in the committees”.
In his resignation letter to Justice Secretary Michael Matheson, Mr Flanagan said: “Recent events have focused on my disagreement with a board member and perceptions of a wider lack of transparency in the SPA. I have apologised to the former board member and put in place changes to the governance processes of the SPA. There are many serious challenges faced by policing in Scotland, but the continued media and Parliamentary debate on these issues risks coming a prolonged distraction.”
Ms Ali criticised the tone of Mr Flanagan’s resignation as he complained coverage had become “quite personalised and has impacted on me and my family.”
She said: “Funnily enough, it also impacted on me and my family. Not a nice Christmas for me and mine.”
Jackie Bailie, acting convener of the Public Audit Committee, said MSPs “had serious concerns about the behaviour” of Mr Flanagan.
She added: “With the announcement of his resignation today, we hope the SPA will now head in the right direction and put an end to its culture of secrecy.”
Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur said the Scottish Government “must accept its full share of the blame, given their botched centralisation of policing.”
Mr Matheson said: “Together with the Chief Constable, Andrew has led the development of the future strategy for Policing, including extensive public consultation through the draft 2026 strategy. However, he has acknowledged that mistakes have been made. He has offered a full and very public apology and made clear changes to transparency and governance in light of the concerns raised.”