City sexists at Presidents Club Charity Dinner told 'your time is up' after undercover sting shames raucous behaviour

Sexism fury at black tie Presidents Club Charity Dinner entertained by 'hostesses' ++++ Undercover sting by Financial Times reveals women were groped and harassed at after-party ++++ GOSH and Evelina Children's Hospital cut ties and hand back cash raised ++++ MPs and business leaders call for end to 'sexist crap'
Financial Times reporters posing as hostesses filmed inside the event at the Dorchester
Financial Times

Women business leaders today led a growing backlash to the “outrageous and unacceptable” sexist boardroom culture revealed at a raucous all-male charity fundraising event in Mayfair, attended by hundreds of finance and industry bosses.

The 360 men at the black-tie Presidents Club Charity Dinner — described as “the most un-PC event of the year” — were entertained by 130 “hostesses” in short dresses and high heels at The Dorchester.

An undercover investigation by the Financial Times revealed how many were groped or harassed at a drunken after-party.

Amid the huge backlash, two beneficiaries of the event, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and Evelina London Children’s Hospital, said they were “shocked” and would return all previous donations.

GOSH was given £280,000 by the Presidents Club Charitable Trust in 2016.

A flyer from the event in 2012

Advertising giant WPP, which sponsored a table at the fundraiser last Thursday, said it would be severing its links with the event.

Financial Times reporter Madison Marriage went undercover and said she was groped “several times”.

Senior figures known to have attended included the newly-appointed children and families minister Nadhim Zahawi, Ocado online supermarket founder Tim Steiner, and Labour peer and fundraiser Jonathan Mendelsohn.

The event took place at Mayfair's Dorchester Hotel, which has a 'zero-tolerance' policy on harassment
Getty Images

The exposé triggered a massive reaction from senior female business figures infuriated by the description of the secretive event, which was hosted by comedian and writer David Walliams.

Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of business group the CBI, said: “If even half of what’s been written about this event is true, it is deplorable and confirms how far we have still to go to stamp out sexual harassment.

"We want all women to feel confident and respected in every walk of life. We can, and must do better than this.”

Undercover: reporter Madison Marriage posed as a hostess at the party

Jayne-Anne Gadhia, chief executive at Virgin Money and the Government’s Women in Finance Champion, said: “The outrageous behaviour at the Presidents Club Dinner is totally unacceptable in today’s City and today’s world.

"There are too few women in senior roles in the City and business more generally and this sort of behaviour explains why culture in some organisations is not good enough to change this.

"We need both men and women to work together to ensure that this event drives real change — for the better and for good.”

Businesswoman Nicola Horlick said the allegations were “unbelievable”.

She told ITV News: “These are some of Britain’s top business people and I can’t understand how they can think it’s appropriate.

"And the fact it was also a charity dinner — raising money for some of our major hospitals — it’s just unbelievable.”

Women politicians also spoke out against the “horrendous” sexist business culture revealed by the report on the “slimeballs charity event” and demanded an investigation by the Charity Commission.

GOSH hands back cash

 

GreatOrmond Street said today it was returning previous donations raised by the Presidents Club Dinner following today’s revelations.

It said it was “shocked” to hear of the behaviour reported and would be returning money and no longer accepting gifts from the charitable trust, blaming the “wholly unacceptable nature of the event”.

A spokesman said: “We are shocked to hear of the behaviour reported at the Presidents Club Charitable Trust fundraising dinner. We would never knowingly accept donations raised in this way.

“We have had no involvement in the organisation of this event, nor attended and we were never due to receive any money from it.

“All monies raised in our name go to support vital work. However, due to the wholly unacceptable nature of the event we are returning previous donations and will no longer accept gifts from the Presidents Club Charitable Trust.”

Tracy Howarth, head of regulatory compliance at the commission, said: “The public will rightly be dismayed by the reports they have read today and will consider that the alleged behaviour has no place being taken in the name of charity, whether raising funds for good causes or not.

"We are assessing these allegations as a matter of urgency and will be contacting the charity named in the reporting.”

Maria Miller, who chairs the Commons Women and Equalities Committee, said: “British business needs to take a long, hard look at itself. How seriously is business taking equality at work if they are still using men-only events for entertainment? If business leaders are simply paying lip service to equality issues then perhaps it’s time the Government gives the Equality Act some real teeth?”

The event was hosted by comedian and writer David Walliams
Dave Benett

Labour MP Jess Phillips, who is also on the committee, said: “This is horrendous example of rich men acting with disgusting entitlement.” The event, which has been running for 33 years, raised more than £2 million largely through an auction of lots including lunch with Boris Johnson, a night at the Windmill strip club in Soho, and a course of plastic surgery with the invitation to “add spice to your wife”.

It was organised by a charitable trust with two joint chairmen, Mayfair property developer Bruce Ritchie, the founder of property group Residential Land, and Mr Meller of the luxury goods supplier Meller Group. He also sits on the board of the the Mayor’s Fund for London.

Ms Phillips said in a series of tweets that if Mr Meller liked “a group event where women are offered up as meat” he should “have a word with yourself or ask someone decent to have a word with you”. She added that he should also not “have a say in my kids’ schools”.

As well as WPP, table sponsors at the event included the spread betting company CMC and property investment group Frogmore. Well-known figures listed on the seating plan included Topshop billionaire Sir Philip Green and Dragon’s Den star Peter Jones. Financiers on the list included Makram Azar, head of Barclays Capital’s Middle East business, and Henry Gabay, founder of hedge fund Duet Group. It is not known if all the men listed on the seating plan attended and there is no suggestion they engaged in any of the reported behaviour.

WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell, one of Britain’s most respected captains of industry, said he had attended the dinner many years ago and had “never seen anything” described by the Financial Times.

A spokesman for CMC Markets confirmed the company did attend the event, but it is understood that founder Peter Cruddas, a former Tory party co-treasurer, was not there.

A Department for Education spokesperson said of Mr Zahawi’s attendance: “This charity event was attended in a personal capacity. ”

A Labour spokesperson said:“Lord Mendelsohn attended part of the dinner as President of a charity that received support from the event. He was not there for or had any knowledge of an after-party.

“Lord Mendelsohn did not see any of the appalling incidents described in the report but he unreservedly condemns such behaviour.”

A spokesman for Barclays declined to comment on whether or not Mr Azar was there. Spokesmen for Peter Jones, Mr Gabay and Sir Philip Green declined to comment. Me Steiner is understood to have attended in a “personal capacity.”

No-one at Residential Land or Meller Group were available for comment.

A spokesman for the Presidents Club said: “The Presidents Club raised several million pounds for disadvantaged children. The organisers are appalled by the allegations of bad behaviour at the event asserted by the Financial Times reporters. We will investigate.”

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