18 Jan 2018
The row over Scotland’s justice secretary intervening to stop the country’s top policeman returning to work is evidence of the SNP’s “secret Scotland”, Ruth Davidson has said.
Michael Matheson is under pressure over a meeting he held with the Scottish Police Authority about the future of chief constable Phil Gormley.
Following that meeting, the SPA opted not to reinstate Mr Gormley, and the justice secretary said he would make the minutes of the meeting available to show the public how that sudden decision had been reached.
The SNP government then claimed no minutes were ever taken.
Today, the Scottish Conservative leader raised the issue at First Minister’s Questions, adding that a change in the law was required to ensure there was more transparency surrounding the appointment of top police chiefs.
However, Nicola Sturgeon defended Mr Matheson’s conduct, saying he’d “acted entirely appropriately”.
The Scottish Conservatives have also published a dossier setting out the timeline of the SNP’s police leadership crisis.
The document asks whether or not the justice secretary has acted lawfully over the Phil Gormley fiasco, and 20 questions he must now answer on the issue.
It also exposes eight times he claimed he couldn’t intervene in disciplinary matters, even though he did exactly that in the case of the chief constable.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said:
“This fiasco exposes the SNP’s secret Scotland, and it stinks.
“The justice secretary has taken a massive decision to intervene in order to stop the head of Scotland’s police force returning to work.
“But, despite saying he’d be happy to share the details of this, it turns out no written record was ever taken.
“That is a shocking way to run government yet, at First Ministers’ questions, Nicola Sturgeon said it was ‘entirely appropriate’.
“Michael Matheson has repeatedly said he can’t intervene in various disciplinary matters, including some high-profile cases at the end of last year.
“But in this case, an intervention most definitely did take place, but mysteriously the Scottish Government wants to keep its details secret.
“The SNP’s single police force was meant to be the most transparent and accountable public body set up in Scotland.
“These revelations show precisely the opposite has happened.”
To see a copy of the dossier and timeline of events, visit:
http://www.scottishconservatives.com/the-snps-police-leadership-crisis/
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