Charity boss faced fewer checks than ‘someone doing a paper tour’ before being appointed

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The Charity Commission boss, who resigned days after his appointment, faced fewer “checks than someone doing a paper tour” before being given the job, MEPs warned.

Martin Thomas resigned after being announced as the regulator’s new chairman when it emerged that complaints of “inappropriate behavior” had been filed against him before his resignation as the boss of a women’s charity.

On Tuesday, the select committee of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) learned that Women For Women International UK had not been contacted prior to her appointment, as the department’s policy was not to ask for referrals.

Julian Knight, the chairman of the committee, told senior officials he was “absolutely amazed” that for a job in a £ 70bn sector of the UK economy overseeing 180,000 charities the DCMS “appears to do fewer checks… than you frankly would if you employ someone to do a paper trick ”.

Sarah Healey, permanent secretary of DCMS, said they did not intend to change this policy, but that in the future they would check with the Charity Commission if there had been any issues regarding the organizations with which a new president was involved.

Allegations of intimidating behavior by Mr Thomas at the aid charity had been brought to the attention of the commission, but links had not been made to his appointment as head of regulator.

Allegations of bullying

Mr Thomas had faced several allegations of misconduct during his time at the charity, including sending a photo of himself at a Victoria Secret lingerie store to a colleague, for which he was acquitted of everything wrongdoing.

The final allegation, which was brought to the attention of the commission and for which Mr Thomas resigned, concerned his tone and language towards a colleague at a Zoom meeting, it is understood.

Mr Thomas said he did not report the allegations during the recruitment process because he believed at the time that he had been “fully exonerated”.

Writing in this diary, Mr Thomas said last month that he never deliberately meant to offend anyone.

The select committee learned that Number 10 had been consulted before the appointment of Mr Thomas, described at the hearing as a “pal” of Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, but officials refused to reveal what had been. said about the seven shortlisted candidates.

The committee also expressed concern after William Shawcross, the public appointments commissioner who is leading an independent investigation into Mr Thomas’ appointment, said he did not believe DCMS officials were at fault.

They warned that the comments suggested he had prejudged the outcome of his investigation into the “Shambolic” date.

Ministers are now considering whether to go back to the shortlist of candidates to appoint a new president or start the recruiting process all over again.

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