Chairman of Green empire claims public role not held since 2016
Lady Brady cites her government business adviser title as she faces questions over NDAS
BARONESS BRADY is no longer the Government’s small business adviser, it has emerged – even though her official website still refers to her in that role.
The peer, who is chairman of Sir Philip Green’s business empire, is facing questions about the extent of her knowledge of the large settlements with staff who complained about Sir Philip’s behaviour. She states that she is the “government business ambassador” on her official website, and records the position on the House of Lords register of interests.
Last night, however, a government spokesman said that the 49-year-old peer had not advised the Government or the department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), since at least 2016, and possibly earlier.
The spokesman said: “Karren Brady was the small business ambassador under David Cameron’s government.”
In an email sent last night, Lady Brady said: “I was the business ambassador under PM Cameron.”
Lady Brady is at the centre of the Green row, refusing to answer questions about her involvement in agreeing settlements with ex-employees of Sir Philip’s company Arcadia.
Staff who complained about Sir Philip were required to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDA) after making their complaints.
Lady Brady is chairman of Taveta Investments, the company that owns Arcadia Group, which runs Sir Philip’s retail empire, including Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins.
Last weekend, Lady Brady said that she would not resign from Taveta following revelations about the staff complaints in The Daily Telegraph.
In the past, she has consistently condemned powerful men who have been accused of sexual harassment.
In 2017, after Sir Michael Fallon’s resignation as defence secretary over inappropriate behaviour, she wrote in a newspaper: “What Michael Fallon, Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey are accused of is abusing their power in an organisation to get someone to do something they don’t want to do, or tolerate something they don’t like.
“Lots of men are asking: ‘When is it appropriate to touch a colleague?’ If you are in doubt, how about … NEVER?”
It comes after this newspaper revealed that a female executive had been paid more than £1million after she accused Sir Philip of groping her.
A black member of staff received close to £1million after allegedly being racially abused by Sir Philip who told him that his “problem” was that he was still “throwing spears in the jungle”.
Two other female employees were paid hundreds of thousands of pounds each after complaining of Sir Philip’s “inappropriate behaviour”.
It allegedly included “grabbing” one woman by the face and putting another in a “headlock”.
Five complainants each signed a gagging clause – known as an NDA – as a condition of the settlements.
Lady Brady faces questions over when she was first made aware of the scandal, with Sir Philip having told the Telegraph in July he planned to discuss it with his board and “Karren”.
She was appointed as the Government’s business ambassador in 2013 by Mr Cameron and continues to market herself as an adviser.
On the House of Lords register of interests, which Lady Brady must com- plete as a sitting member, she includes the post of “Government small business ambassador”.
She last updated her entry on the register on Friday.
Jess Phillips MP, a member of the Commons women and equalities committee, said: “The only thing that can save Baroness Brady is if she demonstrates how she is going to change the culture for the vast majority of women who work at Arcadia.
“There is no evidence of what she has done to change the culture so far.” Sir Vince Cable, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: “If the Government wants to take a stand against these oldfashioned dinosaurs like Green, they ought not to have such high-profile supporters speaking up for the likes of him.”
Frank Field MP said: “She can only do half of her job, in that she’s shown that she’s a true champion of men in the workplace against women. “She’s admirably placed to be a champion of small businesses run by men, but what about all those by women who she’s totally disregarded in this role?
“I would have thought the Government is interested in representing the whole, instead of half, of the population.”
Sir Philip announced Lady Brady’s appointment as chairman of Taveta in 2017.
She initially joined the company as a non-executive director in 2010. It is understood that Lady Brady, who has been one of Britain’s most high-profile businesswomen for decades, is closely involved with Arcadia because the retail firm is Taveta’s only asset.
Sources close to Arcadia told the Telegraph that she was regularly seen at the company’s offices in London. On Saturday, Lady Brady told this newspaper that she would “not be resigning” as chairman of Taveta, adding “Why should I?”
As she walked away from a reporter, she said the claims against Sir Philip had been “denied”.
‘The only thing to save her is if she demonstrates how she can change the culture for women at Arcadia’