Showdown at the top of Police Scotland as chief is told: 'You've lost the dressing room'

By GRAHAM GRANT, SCOTTISH HOME AFFAIRS EDITOR Published: 21:19, 23 August 2026 | Updated: 21:19, 23 August 2026 Scotland's police chief was told she had ‘lost the dressing room’ in a showdown with a senior colleague, the Mail can reveal. Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Middleton told her boss, Jo Farrell, that ‘no one had confidence in her leadership’. She also voiced concern about a lack of transparency at Police Scotland following a string of controversies. One police source told the Mail: ‘Wendy Middleton spoke out at a meeting. ‘She told Jo Farrell she had lost the dressing room – and ten days later Wendy was told she effectively had no future at the organisation because of what she had said.  'The force executive now resembles Game of Thrones on steroids. It’s not what the public expect from police leaders.’ The account was backed by an anonymous X user who posted on August 12 that: ‘Intel provides that an ACC [Assistant Chief Constable] recently approached the Chief privately to discuss her loss of the dressing room.’ The post claimed the ACC was later told they were ‘now persona non grata’. Chief Constable Jo Farrell was told by a senior colleague there was a lack of confidence in her leadership Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Middleton's colleagues suggest she is being 'squeezed out' of the organisation A second source told the Mail: ‘Someone is speaking to people on X now as this was being kept quiet.  'The executive is a mess – Farrell shows no leadership and senior officers are terrified they will be targeted like Jane Connors has been.’ Ms Connors, the Deputy Chief Constable, is at the centre of a bullying investigation but has been redeployed to the National Police Chiefs’ Council.  Colleagues say she is being squeezed out because she also challenged the leadership. The second source said the case against the Deputy Chief Constable was baseless and she was being driven out of the force.  Ms Connors is threatening to launch legal action claiming the bullying investigation is ‘unlawful’. The probe, which is being led by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, began in December. It will report back ‘in due course’. Police Scotland declined to comment. Writing on X, Scottish Tory justice spokesman Stephen Kerr said the Mail’s reporting on policing is ‘raising some very serious questions about what is going on at the top of Police Scotland’. He added: ‘Police officers have every right to expect effective leadership.’