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Watchdog criticises how UK government appointed Covid ‘tsars’

Public appointments commissioner raises concerns as spotlight falls on roles given to figures linked to Tories
Criticism of how four Covid-19 “tsars” were put in place has been voiced by an independent watchdog, as a new spotlight also fell on appointments of as many as 19 Tory-linked figures over the past 12 months.
“Greater clarity” about the terms on which the four were appointed in areas such as PPE and vaccine procurement “might have helped”, said the head of the public appointments watchdog, who recently expressed concern that the government was presiding over a new wave of political cronyism.
The comments by Peter Riddell, an apolitical figure, came as Labour challenged Britain’s most senior civil servant to provide assurances that proper procedures were being followed in appointments. Nineteen roles have been singled out, including the handing of a Home Office job to a close friend of the prime minister without it being advertised, and controversy over the appointment of the Tory peer James Wharton as chair of the Office for Students (OfS).
The public are being “left to draw their own conclusions from what appears to be a growing network of senior positions appointed because of links to the Conservative party”, according to a letter from Labour sent to the Cabinet Office secretary on Friday.
The challenge by Rachel Reeves, Labour’s frontbench spokesperson on Cabinet Office matters, to “put concerns to bed” comes after alarm bells about political patronage were sounded by the standards watchdog, Jonathan Evans, and Riddell, commissioner for public appointments.
Asked if he felt public perceptions of governance had been dented by the recent controversies, Riddell told the Guardian he had seen no polling, but added: “There has certainly been more social media discussion about alleged ‘cronyism’ – usually from the affected sectors – as well as media queries, and I’m in no way complacent about the risks.”
While recognising the need to respond quickly to the Covid-19 pandemic in appointing a number of tsars in areas such as PPE and vaccine procurement, with normal competitions impractical, he added: “What might have helped is greater clarity about the terms on which people were being appointed.”
He said concerns had been raised over those selected by the government to sit on the panels that appointed people to public roles.
“This normally involves an informal discussion between a department and my office, and this presented hardly any problems until last summer when we had a number of cases where names were suggested which were in breach of the code. In each case, I pointed out the clash and an alternative acceptable name was put forward.”
Riddell said he was reassured that “efforts are being made within Whitehall to ensure that such problems do not happen again” and stressed there were 1,000 public appointments each year and the vast majority were made properly.
The success of Kate Bingham – whose involvement initially raised eyebrows on the basis that she was the wife of a Tory MP – in overseeing the UK’s vaccine taskforce has counteracted some criticism. But allegations of political patronage have been fuelled by recent appointments. They include former Conservative MPs such Wharton and George Hollingbery, whose appointment as ambassador to Cuba raised the ire of civil servant unions.
In others, a link to Johnson has been explicit, such as in the appointment this month of his former aide Edward Lister as Middle East envoy. Nimco Ali, a close friend of the prime minister and his fiancee, was meanwhile given an official position at the Home Office without the role being publicly advertised.
Other appointees who have faced questions include the new children’s commissioner, Rachel de Souza, who was director of a campaign group with connections to Conservative figures including those close to Johnson.
Accusations of cronyism had been prompted last May when two former Conservative MPs, Sir Patrick McLoughlin and Nick de Bois, were appointed to senior tourism jobs despite an apparent lack of direct experience in the sector. Criticism was also levelled at the appointment of the former Tory minister Sarah Newton as chair of the Health and Safety Executive, a move that unions said broke with a practice of having the regulator’s chair come from either a trade union or employer background.
All of the above, and others, are listed in Labour’s letter to Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, which called for the civil service to investigate the appointment of Wharton, a former campaign manager for Johnson, as head of the OfS despite him having no experience of the sector.
Reeves also asked in the letter to Case for clarification on which roles were advertised, where they were advertised, which codes of conduct the roles must abide by, and which of them are required to follow the “Nolan principles” for public life.
Alex Thomas, who was principal private secretary to the late Sir Jeremy Heywood when he was cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, told the Guardian: “Open and fair competition is an important principle when making public appointments. There have been signs that for some appointments the government is trying to subvert the process by stacking panels or briefing out their preferred candidates to dissuade others from applying.”
“That’s not the way to get the best people to do these jobs, which, after all, is what ministers should want,” added Thomas, who now leads work on policymaking and the civil service at the Institute for Government thinktank.
The issue has blown up again ahead of the looming appointment of the former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre as chair of Ofcom, a move that has been likened to a continuation of a perceived Conservative culture wars “power grab”, after the Tory donor Richard Sharp was named as the new BBC chair and its director generalship went to Tim Davie, a former deputy chair of the Hammersmith and Fulham Conservative party.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “Public appointments are made in accordance with the governance code for public appointments and are regulated by the commissioner for public appointments.
“Political affiliation is not a bar to holding a public appointment so long as the individual acts in the national interest – of the 9% appointed which declare significant political activity in recent years, 36% stated this was on behalf of the Conservative party and 46% on behalf of the Labour party.
source: Ben Quinn
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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