CBI director-general resigns after investigation into claims of ‘sexual harassment’ against female colleague: Tony Danker apologizes, says he is ‘mortified’ for ‘causing offense and fear’ which he claimed was ‘entirely unintentional’ used to be
- Director General Tony Danker of the Confederation of British Industry was hit with complaints
- Among them was an employee of ‘unwanted contact’ with her by him
Confederation of British Industry director-general Tony Danker stepped aside when an investigation was launched into his behavior in the workplace.
The CBI said it had investigated an allegation surrounding Mr Danker’s conduct in January, but felt that ‘the matter should not be escalated to a disciplinary process’.
Last Thursday, new reports about his behavior were taken note of.
It came after The Guardian newspaper approached the CBI about the complaints, which included allegations from a female employee that Mr Danker had “made unwanted contact with her and considered this unwanted behavior to be sexual harassment.”
In a statement, the CBI said: “We have now taken steps to launch an independent investigation into these new cases.
“Tony Danker has requested that he step down from his role as Director General of the CBI while the independent investigation into these matters continues.
The CBI said it had investigated an allegation surrounding Mr Danker’s conduct in January, but found that ‘the matter did not need to be escalated to disciplinary proceedings’.
“The CBI takes all issues related to workplace behavior extremely seriously, but it is important to emphasize that until this investigation is complete, any new allegations remain unsubstantiated and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”
Mr Danker apologized on Twitter today and said any upset was unintentional.
He said: ‘It was humiliating to hear that I have a cause for concern with a colleague.
“It was completely unintentional and I apologise.
Speaking on behalf of the business lobby group just a week ago, Mr Danker called for tax cuts that could deliver an annual boost of £52bn in investment and help Britain get ‘back in the game’ globally.
‘The CBI is the employers’ organization and I am very proud to be the leader.
“We always strive for the highest standards. I therefore support the decision we have taken to independently review new allegations.
“And I have decided to step aside while the review takes place and will fully cooperate with that.”
Speaking on behalf of the business lobby group just a week ago, Mr Danker called for tax cuts that could deliver an annual boost of £52bn in investment and help Britain get ‘back in the game’ globally.
The Confederation of British Industry said ‘full cost’, allowing companies to recover investment costs straight away against tax liabilities, would help save the UK from a ‘low growth trap’.
It comes as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt faces growing calls from business leaders and Tory MPs to present a growth plan in this month’s budget amid predictions that the country is sliding into a protracted recession.
There were glimmers of hope for a recovery as the FTSE 100 hit an all-time high and a respected forecaster predicted that the economy will not contract this year as the Bank of England and the International Monetary Fund expect.
But businesses are still struggling as prices rise and consumer confidence declines. Companies will be hit again when corporate income tax rises from 19 to 25 percent in the spring.
And a generous 130 percent “super deduction” — a temporary measure to boost investment after the pandemic-induced downturn — will be dropped.
CBI director general Tony Danker said this would have a ‘huge impact on investment and cause the UK to fall behind its competitors’.
He added that next month’s budget would be “the perfect opportunity to take the UK out of recession and transform it into a fast-growing, innovative economy.” He said: ‘We know that the economy can – and must – emerge from the trap of low growth, but we will need to take action on business investment to achieve this.
“Companies see the end of the super deduction and nothing will take its place other than a significant increase in corporate income tax.”
The CBI’s proposal would replace the super deduction by allowing companies to offset 100 percent of the investment against tax liabilities in the first year.
