An Oxfam GB trustee has resigned from the board over what he described as the “cruel and inhumane” treatment of its former chief executive and called for a Charity Commission takeover.
After raising concerns about the “brutal” manner of Halima Begum’s departure in December, Balwant Singh announced his resignation yesterday, accusing his fellow Oxfam trustees of undermining public trust and lacking transparency.
In a statement, Singh formally apologised to Begum, who left after two years as Oxfam CEO in December following “serious concerns” being raised over her leadership.
Singh, who joined Oxfam in November 2022, said he felt “morally obliged” to step down from its board this Thursday due to events surrounding Begum’s exit.
“I have despaired at the lack of accountability to the thousands of staff, volunteers, the public and donors,” he said.
“We should have been better than this. I believe that the actions of the Oxfam GB board have compounded organisational damage and undermined trust.
“I have concluded that the current board of Oxfam GB is no longer fit for office.”
Singh called on the Charity Commission to remove Oxfam’s board, install a caretaker leadership and launch a statutory inquiry into “governance competence and serious potential failures” at the charity.
The departing trustee cited broader concerns over the charity’s governance since the Haiti safeguarding scandal was reported in 2018 and said he was “angry” at the amount spent on lawyers instead of hunger crises in Sudan and east Africa.
In response to Singh’s resignation, an Oxfam spokesperson said: “Board changes are a matter for our formal governance processes. We will update on these in due course.”
Earlier this month, Oxfam announced it would commission a review of its board processes following Begum’s departure and the subsequent tide of criticism.
Civil Society understands the Charity Commission is still assessing whether or not to intervene.
Events surrounding Begum’s departure
Oxfam’s board made the unanimous decision that trust and confidence in Begum had been lost after a review by workplace problem-solving company Howlett Brown in December.
The charity told Civil Society its board had received complaints about Begum’s leadership since January 2025 and held a meeting to discuss these on 24 October.
Oxfam said a “fair and confidential” external review was then instigated, “in line with employment law and Charity Commission guidance”.
Begum had been subject to scrutiny after more than 140 staff members were made redundant in a bid to tackle a second consecutive operating deficit of over £20m.
Protests led by trade union Unite involving the charity’s “very demoralised” workforce followed.
Singh, however, took aim at Oxfam’s board for lacking transparency over “the vast black hole” in its finances that led to the staff restructure.
After the Times story was published, Singh broke ranks with the charity and said Begum was a victim of a plot to undermine her leadership.
He claimed the investigation’s findings into Begum’s conduct had not been shared with her before the Times was notified of her exit, and that she was not given the right of reply.
Singh also said Begum had filed a grievance complaint against former chair Charles Gurassa before she became aware of concerns around her leadership.
In response, Oxfam confirmed Begum had launched a “whistleblower complaint” against Gurassa on 29 October.
Gurassa told the board the claims in the complaint were “inaccurate, with mischaracterisations and innuendo”, the Observer reported this month.
The charity said Gurassa “recused himself of all matters” relating to the CEO review and the grievance against him on 30 October 2025 before the independent review.
Gurassa stepped down as chair on 27 November, the charity added.
