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Royal Institution members stage coup to expel trustees and reinstate ousted director

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 22 Mar 2010

The Royal Institution’s trustees could face expulsion and the recently-ousted director Baroness Greenfield brought back if a meeting forced by the charity’s members results in proposals for a new governing council at the troubled organisation.

Some of the charity’s members, including former newsreader Anna Ford, have called a vote of no confidence in the current board of trustees, who in January decided to make Baroness Greenfield redundant and abolish the post of director.

According to newspaper reports, the trustees decided that the post of full-time director was no longer affordable in light of recent funding problems.  A refurbishment of the Institution's Mayfair headquarters instigated by Greenfield has left the charity facing a shortfall of more than £3m - a deficit on unrestricted funds of £1.6m and net current liabilities of £1.5m.

At the time, Greenfield threatened to file an employment tribunal claim against the RI, but as yet she has taken no legal action.

Now, in a surprising twist, dissident members of the Royal Institution have forced a special meeting on 12 April. They say their priority is to improve the governance and finances of the RI, rather than bring back Baroness Greenfield – although this will be an option if their coup succeeds.

The group has proposed sacking the current trustees and creating a brand new council, including Lord Hunt, former head of the Met Office; Lord Stone, former managing director of Marks & Spencer and Lord Garel-Jones, managing director of UBS Investment.

It is reported that the RI has sent its 2,400 members a letter which gives “a unanimous recommendation to members to vote against the resolution”, in order to avoid further financial problems for the charity.

The letter also adds: “The office of director will continue.”

A RI spokeswoman told Civil Society: “The position of director was made redundant in January as we knew it then. There will still be a leadership position at the RI but it won’t continue in the same way.”

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