The report found Mr Sharp "failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest to the panel which interviewed candidates and advised ministers". He had introduced his friend Sam Blyth, a distant cousin of Mr Johnson who wanted to help him with his financial troubles, to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case ahead of being recommended for the BBC role by the government.Īfter detailed reporting by the Times newspaper, an investigation into Mr Sharp's appointment was announced in January, and was eventually conducted by Adam Heppinstall KC. Mr Sharp decided to step down after being caught up in a row over his appointment into the role at the BBC since January, when accusations arose around his role in securing an £800,000 loan guarantee for Boris Johnson - just weeks before the former prime minister appointed him. She will replace from Richard Sharp who resigned as chair on 28 April. The government has just announced that Professor Dame Elan Closs Stephens will take over as acting chair of the BBC from 27 June (see post at 12.09). Instead they were forced to confront a wave of stories in public and from conversations with frustrated MPs and staff, there’s more to come. The suggestion from insiders is that, because of the coming boundary changes, he may not have made it beyond the next election anyway and the rumours would disappear with him. This was the case with Geraint Davies - Sky News has seen conclusive evidence that Labour whips were aware of the claims that were circulating against the Swansea West MP. The accepted way to complain remains having a word with the whips, whose role includes keeping MPs in line.īut in the Labour Party, as with all parties, the whips office is often a place where allegations are hoarded and suppressed, sometimes for years. Problem MPs are managed quietly, their staff move on, colleagues warn each other about who to stay away from especially when they’ve had a few drinks. That’s why despite the attempts to force the Commons to modernise it remains mired in archaic customs.Īnything potentially harmful is dealt with behind closed doors. Speaking out could damage not just the individual but the entire cause to which many have dedicated their lives. People who work in it are fiercely partisan and protecting the reputation of MPs is seen as synonymous with being loyal to the party. None felt that these processes would be fair, and many feared that if they did lodge a formal complaint it would be their career that would be over, not his.Īt the heart of all of this, of course, is politics. That sits alongside Parliament's own independent complaints process - the ICGS - which has been established for five years and has received thousands of allegations.īut in the case of Geraint Davies, as with so many others, it was to the media that his complainants turned for some form of justice. The reality is that the party already has a robust independent system designed specifically for addressing sexual misconduct and bullying. In doing so he inadvertently encapsulated the problem with Westminster - you can create endless bodies and procedures but if political culture is rotten, the bad behaviour will continue regardless, and it does. In a (very long) email to all staff the party’s general secretary, David Evans, went through all the resources already available, and the list was long. In the wake of the Geraint Davies allegations, Labour has said it will look again at their processes for dealing with these types of complaints.
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