FMQs: Humza Yousaf says funding pressure no 'excuse' for institutional racism in Police Scotland as he describes chief constable admission as 'monumental'

The First Minister said Sir Iain Livingstone’s comments were “historic”

Funding pressures in Police Scotland are no excuse for institutional racism and discrimination, Humza Yousaf has said.

It came as the First Minister welcomed a “monumental, historic” statement by Sir Iain Livingstone, the outgoing chief constable.

Addressing a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) on Thursday, Sir Iain said the force was “institutionally racist and discriminatory”. He said acknowledging the issue was “essential” to a commitment to champion equality and become “an anti-racist service”.

First Minister Humza Yousaf during a visit to Bellshill in North Lanarkshire ahead of First Minister's Questions. Picture: Robert Perry/PA Wire

It follows the publication of a report which found “instances of ongoing discrimination”, including “first-hand accounts of racism, sexism and homophobia” by serving officers.

Mr Yousaf was asked about the issue at First Minister’s Questions in Holyrood. He said: “Can I first and foremost convey to Iain Livingstone, the chief constable of Police Scotland, [my commendation] for acknowledging institutional racism and indeed misogyny and other discriminatory behaviours within Police Scotland. That is the first step that is required to then dismantle those institutional structural barriers that exist.”

Mr Yousaf added: “There is no doubt that institutional racism exists in our society, and I want to take a moment just to say, as a person of colour, the statement from the chief constable is monumental, historic.”

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross questioned Mr Yousaf on findings within the report that showed “frontline pressures have left officers without the time to take part in vital training exercises”. Mr Ross said the report highlighted that pressures on frontline resourcing were proving a barrier to addressing cultural change.

He said: "The SPA report found, and I quote, ‘The greatest challenge we heard and observed to driving cultural change within the service was the pressures on frontline resourcing.”

Mr Ross added: “Now, absolutely none of that excuses discrimination, but it is a serious problem limiting Police Scotland’s ability to change its culture and leaves thousands of first-class officers without the resources they need to do their job. Does the First Minister accept that Scotland’s police officers are being asked to do too much with too little?”

Mr Yousaf responded: “I don’t agree with that characterisation. And can I emphasise or re-emphasise a point that Douglas Ross just made. Of course funding – and Douglas Ross is absolutely within his rights to question us in relation to funding – that can never be an excuse for institutional racism and institutional discrimination.”

He said the Scottish Government had increased police funding year-on-year since 2016, investing more than £11.6 billion since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013.

The First Minister said the latest data showed there were 30 police officers per 10,000 people in Scotland, compared to 24 per 10,000 in England and Wales.