Outrage as ‘bully’ billionaire Sir Philip Green is unmasked as MPs demand he’s stripped of his knighthood after sex pestering and bullying claims
The Topshop boss, 66, and pal of Harvey Weinstein, was unmasked in Parliament as the man behind a gagging order hushing up #MeToo-style claims against him
BILLIONAIRE Sir Philip Green’s reputation was shredded as he was named as the tycoon who spent £500,000 trying to silence alleged victims of sexism, racism and bullying.
#MeTwo... The 'gagging' affair was likened to the scandal involving US movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who Green met in London in 2009Credit: Camera Press
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Philip Green pictured with his wife Tina and daughter ChloeCredit: Rex Features
Lib Dem leader Vince Cable said: “He narrowly and luckily escaped losing his knighthood over the BHS pensions scandal.
“If these allegations are correct, he should certainly be stripped of his knighthood.”
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The 66-year-old retail billionaire faced calls to be stripped of his knighthood, but 'categorically' denied any wrongdoingCredit: Rex Features
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Sir Philip is friends with A-listers including Kate MossCredit: Getty - Contributor
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Sir Philip on a yacht in Monaco, where his wife Tina is basedCredit: Splash News
Retail billionaire Sir Philip last night categorically and wholly” denied claims of “unlawful sexual or racist behaviour”.
Earlier, in a victory for free speech, Labour peer Peter Hain had used parliamentary privilege to name him in the House of Lords.
It rendered an injunction granted by the Appeal Court redundant.
PETER HAIN’S STATEMENT
Having been contacted by somebody intimately involved in the case of a powerful businessman using non-disclosure agreements and substantial payments to conceal the truth about serious and repeated sexual harassment, racist abuse and bullying which is compulsively continuing, I feel it’s my duty under parliamentary privilege to name Philip Green as the individual in question, given that the media have been subject to an injunction preventing publication of the full details of a story which is clearly in the public interest.
Until Lord Hain’s dramatic intervention, newspapers had been barred from fully revealing allegations of misconduct made by five employees against Green.
Lord Hain told The Sun it was “his duty” to name the tycoon as the story was “clearly in the public interest”.
He said: “Parliamentary privilege should only be used extremely rarely and with integrity and responsibility. This is such an occasion”.
The former Cabinet minister and lifelong campaigner against discrimination was contacted out of the blue by someone “intimately involved in the case”.
But he refused to share any more details in a bid to protect the source, adding only: “My words in the Lords speak for themselves.”
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Green seen out in London's Mayfair with a bodyguard earlier this monthCredit: Splash News
Later Conservative deputy chairman James Cleverly said: “People must now realise that injunctions and super-injunctions are nothing more than a good way to part with large sums of money and a bad way to keep things secret.”
The injunction stopped the Daily Telegraph from publishing the allegations this week.
The newspaper was only able to run a story alleging that an unnamed “leading businessman” had used non-disclosure agreements to pay off former employees who had accused him of poor conduct.
It likened it to the Harvey Weinstein scandal by dubbing it “a British #MeToo”.
Yesterday, The Sun told how MPs had blasted the then unnamed tycoon over his court ban.
Green is boss of Arcadia, which includes huge brand names such as Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins.
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Sir Philip and Lady GreenCredit: PA:Press Association
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Sir Philip with his daughter's boyfriend Jeremy Meeks on one of his yachtsCredit: Splash News
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Jeremy Meeks and Chloe Green have a child togetherCredit: Instagram
In 2016, British Home Stores collapsed a year after he sold it for just £1.
The company faced a £571million pensions blackhole when it went under. Following a huge outcry, Green agreed to pay £363million into the fund.
In a 20-page ruling, the Court of Appeal referred to the businessman simply as “ABC” and described the allegations as amounting to “discreditable conduct”.
The interim injunction order states that in five cases “substantial payments” were made to five people as part of “settlement agreements” or NDAs.
Details of those allegations still cannot be reported until the temporary injunction is lifted. It was previously reported that one former executive Wesley Taylor, who is black, was understood to have signed an NDA after leaving following a row with Green.
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The Appeal Court judges - including Lord Justice Henderson, above - ruled that the confidentiality of contracts like NDAs was more important than freedom of speechCredit: UPPA/Photoshot
What is parliamentary privilege?
PARLIAMENTARY privilege is a legal right that MPs and Peers get which allows them to speak freely in the Houses of Parliament.
It means they have the right to say what they like, and they will be legally immune from being prosecuted over it.
It came into British law as part of the 1689 Bill of Rights, which followed the English Civil War, to allow politicians to speak freely about the monarch.
It says in the Bill: "that the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament."
"Proceedings" has been taken to mean anything said in the Houses of Parliament, but also other documents, preparations and questions which are a part of Westminster's working.
Media organisations don't have the absolute right to report what an MP says in Parliament - but in reality once an MP says something it's difficult to stop that becoming widely known.
Married footballer Ryan Giggs was named in the Commons in 2011 by MP John Hemming as having had an alleged affair - after an injunction blocked The Sun and other newspapers from revealing it.
But thousands had already named him on Twitter.
Parliamentary privilege was also used to try and stop the details of MPs expenses from being disclosed, but this was unsuccessful.
As well as re-igniting the #MeToo debate, newspapers argued there was a clear public interest in publishing the claims, not least to alert those who might be applying to work for him.
Green hired a team of at least seven lawyers and spent close to £500,000 in legal fees to win the injunction.
He is being represented by Schillings, the legal firm which has also worked with Cristiano Ronaldo, Lance Armstrong and Ryan Giggs.
The sports stars controversially made use of NDAs or injunctions to silence claims of wrongdoing.
Sir Philip took out an injunction banning the media from naming himCredit: Getty - Contributor
They overturned a previous High Court ruling by Justice Haddon-Cave which found the allegations would be overwhelmingly in the public interest.
He believed the information — the claims made against the businessman — to be “reasonably credible”.
Maria Miller, chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, said: “Given the huge influence Philip Green wields in the world of business it is surprising the Court of Appeal decided it wasn’t in the public interest to make public the string of payments that have been made.
“‘It’s unacceptable that the current system allows the use of NDAs to cover up serial offenders and that cannot be allowed to continue.” The Government is urgently reviewing the use of NDAs. On Wednesday.Theresa May pledged to fast-track measures to improve regulation around gagging clauses.
MPs last night spoke out in support of Lord Hain’s actions.
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The tycoon with Nick Grimshaw and Harry StylesCredit: Getty - Contributor
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Sir Philip with Liz Hurley, Bill Clinton and businessman's wife Jackie Caring at a party in 2005Credit: Rex Features
Senior Labour MP Jess Phillips said the revelation that the mystery businessman was Sir Philip was “no surprise to me”, as he is “a man with such a terrible reputation in every regard”.
She added: “His power and his money bought him cover only for moments. I’m glad that riches are not a get out of jail free card”
And Sir Vince said: “I think Parliament’s proving its worth. The use of Parliament in this way is healthy and it shows democracy at work”.
Lord Hain was asked on BBC2’s Newsnight last night what reaction he’d had following the disclosure.
He replied: "Well, there's been some criticism on social media, but I've had overwhelming support — particularly from women." In a strongly worded statement, Green denied any wrongdoing.
He said: "I am not commenting on anything that has happened in court or was said in Parliament.
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Following the revelation some workers at Arcadia, which includes retailers Topshop, are said to have threatened to hand in their notices saying they could no longer work with GreenCredit: PA:Press Association
The Sun Says: Gag's a joke
THE Philip Green case demonstrates that we have an analogue justice system in a digital age.
The gagging order judges put on the Telegraph, keeping Green’s name out of the press, was destined to be pointless.
Social media revealed the odious tycoon as the man behind hush money deals to hide alleged sexual harassment and bullying as soon as Wednesday morning’s newspapers came out.
And yet, neither we nor any other newspaper were able to tell you — even though, for the thousands of people employed by him and the millions who shop in his stores, this was a matter of the most profound public interest.
Our judges look like Dickens characters. It’s time for our judiciary to join the 21st century. As it is for “Sir” Philip Green, a man who wouldn’t be out of place in Victorian times either.
Aside from these claims, his charge sheet is long enough: dodgy tax affairs; running BHS into the ground; leaving loyal employees on the scrapheap; foul-mouthed tirades at anybody who dares ask him questions about his businesses.
He still, inexplicably, has a knighthood. He got it for services to retail.
He should lose it for giving capitalism a bad name.
"To the extent that it is suggested that I have been guilty of unlawful sexual or racist behaviour, I categorically and wholly deny these allegations.
“Arcadia and I take accusations and grievances from employees very seriously. In the event that one is raised, it is thoroughly investigated.
“Arcadia employs more than 20,000 people and in common with many large businesses sometimes receives formal complaints from employees.
“In some cases these are settled with the agreement of all parties and their legal advisers. These settlements are confidential so I cannot comment further on them."
Ex-BHS boss Sir Philip Green branded unacceptable face of capitalism
#NotMeToo - angry millionaires slap down claims it was them
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Lord Sugar was quick to close down accusations that he was the 'leading businessman' in question
SOME of Britain’s best-known millionaires had lined up to deny they were behind the gagging order yesterday — leaving an ever-shrinking list of possible suspects.
Lord Sugar and Duncan Bannatyne both moved to slap down false rumours that they were involved. And sources close to Sir Richard Branson and Sir Martin Sorrell also insisted that they were not responsible.
The shrinking list of suspects ridiculed the gagging order imposed by the courts.
Sir Philip Green is said to have paid nearly £500,000 for his legal team to get the ruling, which has been dubbed the “British #MeToo scandal”.
It meant claims of bullying, racism and sexual harassment of staff could not be made public and linked to him. The order, made against the Daily Telegraph, came as it revealed the millionaire used non-disclosure agreements to silence and pay off staff.
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Duncan Bannatyne was forced to clamp down on rumours he was the 'gag' boss
Lord Sugar, 71, wrote on Twitter: “To all those tosser trolls associating me with the Daily Telegraph injunction by a celeb.
“I have no idea who that person is, but I certainly know it is NOT me.” Bannatyne, 69, declared: “I can safely say it is not me.”
Appeal court judges Sir Terence Etherton, Lord Justice Underhill and Lord Justice Henderson had ruled the tycoon could not be named. It was despite all three agreeing that he was accused of “discreditable conduct”.
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