The officer in charge of the force that led the “Beergate” investigation into Sir Keir Starmer is to become the first female Chief Constable of Police Scotland.
Jo Farrell, who has been in charge of Durham Constabulary since 2019, will replace Sir Iain Livingstone as the head of the national force when he retires in August, earning £232,452 per year.
She will lead Police Scotland for at least the next four years and will take charge at a time when it is the focus of attention due to its investigation into the SNP’s finances.
Sir Iain has robustly defended its approach to the investigation, known as Operation Branchform, after it was criticised by several senior SNP figures for being heavy-handed.
Ms Farrell is no stranger to political controversy, having been in charge of Durham Constabulary during its two-month investigation into the so-called “Beergate” incident.
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner were eventually cleared of breaching Covid lockdown regulations after being pictured drinking and eating a takeaway curry with party colleagues in April 2021.
The police investigation concluded there had been no breach of the ban on indoor mixing as the gathering was work-related.
In May 2020, Ms Farrell’s force was also put under pressure to question Boris Johnson’s key adviser Dominic Cummings over his 260-mile trip to Durham from London and his now-infamous day out to Barnard Castle to “test his eyesight”.
Mr Cummings was never questioned by officers, with the force stating that its policy was not to take “retrospective” action over lockdown breaches.
“We are apolitical, so it was my job to make sure that there was a proportionate line,” Ms Farrell said in an interview later.
Speaking after her appointment was announced, she said it was a day of “mixed emotions” as she was sorry to leave her old force, but had been given “a unique opportunity to take on one of the most exciting and challenging jobs in UK policing”.
Sir Iain, who has served as Chief Constable since August 2018, is retiring after 31 years as a police officer.
Last month he said he accepted that Police Scotland was institutionally racist and discriminatory, after a review uncovered first-hand accounts of racism, sexism and homophobia by serving officers.
However, he stressed that his admission did not mean individual officers and staff were racist or sexist, and expressed pride and confidence in their work.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “Jo is the first women to be appointed to this role. As the force marks its 10th anniversary year, she has shown she has the skills needed to lead the service into the next decade and meet the challenges ahead.”
