CBI boss sacked over misconduct claims – BBC News

The boss of one of the UK’s largest business groups has been fired over complaints about his behaviour at work.

Tony Danker will leave the CBI following an investigation over his conduct towards a female employee.

Three other CBI employees have also been suspended “pending further investigation into a number of ongoing allegations”, the group said.

The group is also “liaising with the police” and said it would “co-operate fully with any police investigations”.

Mr Danker stepped aside in March after the CBI hired law firm Fox Williams to investigate several complaints about him.

He has been dismissed with immediate effect and will get no redundancy package.

Mr Danker tweeted that he was “shocked” to learn he had been dismissed “instead of being invited to put my position forward as was originally confirmed”.

“Many of the allegations against me have been distorted, but I recognise that I unintentionally made a number of colleagues feel uncomfortable and I am truly sorry about that.”

The findings of the investigation into him for now remain unpublished.

Last week, the Guardian newspaper reported separate sexual misconduct claims against CBI employees, including an allegation of rape at a summer boat party in 2019.

Many of the most serious allegations predate Mr Danker’s time as director-general.

In its statement on Tuesday, the CBI said: “Tony Danker is dismissed with immediate effect following the independent investigation into specific complaints of workplace misconduct against him.

“The board wishes to make clear he is not the subject of any of the more recent allegations in The Guardian but has determined that his own conduct fell short of that expected of the director-general.”

The scandals have left the CBI facing its biggest crisis since it was founded in 1965.

Some company executives who are members of the group have described it as an existential crisis for an organisation that represents the interests of some 190,000 businesses across the UK.

The lobby group has already postponed its public events and asked Fox Williams to conduct a separate investigation to the one into Mr Danker.

Government departments have also put their engagement with the CBI on hold.

In its statement, the lobby group said there had been “serious failings” in how it had handled sexual misconduct complaints and it would now begin a “root-and-branch review” of its culture and governance.

This will look at issues such as how employees raise concerns and processes for escalating complaints.

“It is already clear to all of us that there have been serious failings in how we have acted as an organisation. We must do better, and we must be better,” it said.

Mr Danker, who became director-general of the CBI in November 2020, has been replaced by Rain Newton-Smith, the CBI’s former chief economist, who now becomes the second woman to lead the group in its history.

Ms Newton-Smith, who spent her early career as an economist at the Bank of England, left the CBI in March to join Barclays bank as managing director for strategy and policy, sustainability and ESG (environmental, social and governance).

She is well known to CBI staff and members but will face a tough job in reassuring members that the lobby group can effectively represent their interests.

Marks and Spencer said it had written to the acting director general of the CBI to “seek reassurances”, while Rolls-Royce said the recent claims were “deeply concerning”.

The CBI lobbies politicians on firms’ behalf to make policies that benefit UK businesses. It also hosts regular networking events for business leaders, with the UK chancellor typically giving the keynote speech at its annual dinner.

Tony Danker, who grew up in Belfast, has previously worked as a special adviser to the Treasury under the government of former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He has also been international director then chief strategy officer at Guardian News and Media.

He is married, with two sons, and lives in London.