Police Scotland could struggle to find a replacement for its outgoing chief Iain Livingstone after his bombshell comments about the force being institutionally racist, it has been claimed.
Former justice secretary Kenny MacAskill has accused the Chief Constable of setting off a “bomb” for anyone who takes over and fears the impact will be felt most by ordinary officers.
He has now written to First Minister Humza Yousaf asking if he knew of the chief’s concerns when he was justice secretary and what evidence had been provided to the government to back up the claims of widespread discrimination within the organisation.
The MP said: “Iain Livingtsone has simply walked off into the sunset, having detonated a bomb which will have to be addressed by rank and file officers who will have to go into the streets to face accusations that they are institutionally racist and misogynist. It’s disgraceful, and incendiary.
“It creates a huge problem for whoever comes next after Iain Livingstone, especially if they are from inside Police Scotland if that same force has been ruled institutionally racist. They will be dogged by this for their whole time in the job.”
Livingstone is due to step down later this year after six years heading up Scotland’s single force,
He stunned many officers, politicians and the public when he said last week that Police Scotland was institutionally racist and discriminatory at his final meeting of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA).
His comments were welcomed by some groups including the Scottish Muslim Police Association who said it marked “the start of a journey...towards rectifying systemic issues and cultivating a more inclusive and respectful police service”.
Moi Ali, a former member of the Scottish Police Authority also welcomed the comments.
But others were baffled and said they were confused about what exactly Livingstone was referring to if he was not pointing the finger at his own staff.
The Alba party MP, said: “When I was justice secretary I never had any reason to believe and nobody ever advised me that we had sexism and misogyny that was institutionalised.
“Clearly progress has to be made and the sort of changing room culture, the lad culture - lots has been addressed but there’s still a way to go.
“But I don’t see how Iain Livingstone can claim that Police Scotland is institutionally racist.
“There are probably still cultural attitudes that need to be change but that’s a far cry from saying the institution is racist.
“[Iain Livingstone] detailed what he sees as a significant problem without giving any basis of his evidence and without laying out a strategy for trying to address it.”
In his letter to Yousaf, sent last night, the former justice secretary said: “When you were justice secretary did you consider Police Scotland to be institutionally racist and misogynist?”
He asked if Yousaf had ever been advised of the concerns about the force, and said: “If you were not so advised, when are you led to believe that the service supposedly became so afflicted?”
He also challenged the First Minister over what was now being done to address the problems claimed by Livingstone.
The East Lothian MP said: “Anyone thinking of joining the police now, and particularly if they are from a minority background, will think twice.”
Police Scotland did not respond directly when asked about MacAskill’s comments, but referred to the Chief Constable’s statement to the SPA meeting.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said Yousaf viewed Livingstone’s comments as “monumental and historic.”
She said: “As the First Minister made clear in Parliament, the Chief Constable's acknowledgement of institutional racism, misogyny and other discriminatory behaviours within Police Scotland was monumental and historic.
“It is the first step required in order to dismantle the institutional and structural barriers that exist.
"This is not a criticism of individual police officers, who we know put themselves in harm’s way to protect us day in and day out,
"The First Minister has committed to working with Police Scotland and to make sure that all organisations—in particular, those in the public sector— we collect the data and we have a view on the structural barriers that exist, and then we work with senior management and leadership to dismantle the barriers."
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