News

Shawcross 'too outspoken' to be Commission chair, MPs worry

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 5 Sep 2012

William Shawcross, the proposed chair of the Charity Commission, is too political and outspoken in his role as a journalist to chair the Commission impartially, MPs warned today.

Last week, the Cabinet Office announced that William Shawcross was the preferred candidate for the two-day-a-week job.

At his pre-appointment hearing today in front of the Public Administration Select Committee, a number of MPs voiced strong concerns that many of his comments in the press were too political.

Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland cited articles where Shawcross had written in support of Rupert Murdoch, Guantanamo Bay and the decision by Bush and Blair to invade Iraq. 

He said: “You’ve done some fantastic work for charities. And it’s fantastic that you are such a strong and outspoken journalist. But I am concerned whether such an outspoken journalist with such strong views on uncomfortable issues will be able to lead an organisation that needs sensitivity and impartiality.”

In his defence, Shawcross said that if he was accepted in the role he would discuss any potentially controversial writing with the chief executive of the Charity Commission, but he insisted he would carry on working as a journalist, considering the chair role is only two days a week.

Mulholland also expressed worry that Shawcross has publicly declared that he voted Conservative.

Labour MP David Heyes raised similar concerns, arguing that Dame Suzi Leather struggled to shake off her Labour Party affiliation even though she had no strong political views on public record.

Shawcross said he had not been a member of the Labour Party since the 1960s, was not a member of any party now, and insisted throughout the grilling that he would be an impartial chair.

Labour MP Paul Flynn referred to an article Shawcross wrote in April 2010 where he reportedly said: “The disaster we now face is due uniquely to Gordon Brown and the Labour Party’s post-modern authoritarianism”, and challenged him: “That is a strongly right-wing view.”

Shawcross responded that it was “a strong view, but I’m not sure it’s right-wing”.

Flynn went on: “Can you ensure you are not going to face accusations and suspicions from the charity bodies, who are very bruised and battered at the moment, that they have someone who is going to do the political hatchet job that Maude is doing elsewhere? You should be an independent person, can you assure us of that?”

Shawcross responded: “I can assure you of that and if you have any misgivings I would wish to come back at any stage and talk to the committee.

“I am convinced the independence of the regulator is vital and it would be wrong of me to infringe upon that independence in any way. I would not do that.”

Committee chair Bernard Jenkin MP asked what specific steps he would take to reinforce that independence, to which Shawcross replied: “Obviously I would have to – and wish to – resign all my memberships of the Henry Jackson Society and other charities that I am involved with.

“I would do everything necessary and speak to the chief executive of the Charity Commission to ensure that I was seen always to be acting in an independent manner.”

Shawcross: Charging registration fees is sensible

On a separate issue, Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke raised the spectre of the Charity Commission charging charities a fee to register.  Shawcross said that if appointed, he would look very seriously at the suggestion, describing it as “sensible”.

“It’s unprecedented and would cause grief but other regulation agencies charge for their privileges so it may have to come to it,” he said.

After the hearing, the committee retired privately to consider the appointment.

Directory: Charity Commission