The Observer reports my latest exposé of V&A trustee Ben Elliot

1. On 25 June 2023, The Observer newspaper reported my latest exposé of V&A trustee Ben Elliot (see 12 June 2023 post).
2. Here’s the online version of the article, “Senior Tory accused of conflict of interest over V&A fundraiser”: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jun/25/senior-tory-accused-of-conflict-of-interest-over-va-fundraiser.

Charity Commission declines to comment on the conduct of Rory Brooks

1. I emailed the Charity Commission for comment about the conduct of Rory Brooks, a new board member (see 7 June 2023 post).
2. Mr Brooks is chair of Quintessentially Foundation, the charity linked to the high-profile Quintessentially (UK) Ltd.
3. There continues to be conflicting information on the public record whether Mr Brooks is a shareholder of Quintessentially (UK) Ltd.
4. As you can see, Quintessentially Foundation and Mr Brooks didn’t respond to requests for comment (see 7 June 2023 post).
5. Yet the Charity Commission rightly expects trustees and their charities to be transparent and accountable. New board member Mr Brooks is hardly leading by example.
6. As I say, I asked the Charity Commission for comment. (Mr Brooks and his charity have already shown themselves to be unresponsive and unaccountable.)
7. A spokesperson for the charity regulator said in an email: “We do not have any comment to make on this matter.”
8. ADDENDUM: On 2 March 2021, I revealed that the then new Charity Commission chair, Ian Karet, was failing to lead by example on charity transparency and accountability.

Ben Elliot was involved in arranging November 2021 Tory fundraising event at V&A

1. Ben Elliot has been a trustee of charity the Victoria and Albert Museum (“V&A”) since 2017. His other roles include co-chair of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022.
2. On 12 March 2022, I revealed that Mr Elliot hosted private events at the world-renowned museum about exhibitions. Thus Mr Elliot blurred the separation between his role as a trustee and as a founding director of Quintessentially, the luxury lifestyle group and global concierge service.
3. In November 2021, the Conservatives held a fundraising event at the V&A. Museum emails released under FoI reveal Mr Elliot was involved in arranging the shindig. There was “some early involvement from Ben Elliot, but only in the initial enquiry stage”.
4. Thus Mr Elliot also blurred the separation between his role as a trustee and as Tory co-chair.
5. By contrast, “there was no involvement from Ben Elliot” in arranging last year’s Conservative fundraising summer party at the V&A, which took place in June. Mr Elliot was still party co-chair at the time.
6. Mr Elliot was named in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list, published on 9 June 2023. The former Tory co-chair received a knighthood “for political and public service”.

Is new Charity Commission board member a shareholder of Quintessentially (UK) Ltd?

1. On 1 June 2023, the Charity Commission announced the appointment of three new board members, including Rory Brooks, a major Tory donor.
2. On 23 May 2022, I showed there is conflicting information on the public record whether Mr Brooks is a shareholder of Quintessentially (UK) Ltd. Here I show the discrepancy persists in the latest official documents.
3. In 2000, Ben Elliot, former co-chair of the Conservative Party, co-founded the global Quintessentially Group, and continues to serve as a director of UK-registered Quintessentially (UK) Ltd (“Quintessentially”). Quintessentially is a luxury concierge service for the super-rich: members access its “global network of personal lifestyle managers”, who “are ready to bring every wish, new and old, big and small, to fruition”.
4. Mr Elliot served as chair of linked charity Quintessentially Foundation (“QF”) from 2008 until 2020, and remains a trustee. Mr Brooks succeeded founder Mr Elliot as QF chair.
5. On 19 February 2019, I revealed QF spent £2.15m in 2017 – but just £1.12m (51.9 per cent) went to other charities. QF is a grant-making charity that supports other charities only.
6. Mr Brooks is a shareholder of Quintessentially, according to the “related-party transactions” note in the latest accounts for QF, made up to 31 December 2021. (The same disclosure was made in the previous year’s accounts, made up to 31 December 2020.)
7. However, Mr Brooks’ name does not appear in the list of Quintessentially shareholders disclosed in the firm’s “confirmation statement” at Companies House dated 7 October 2022. (The QF chair was also absent from the previous year’s confirmation statement, dated 16 November 2021.)
8. At date of publication the accounts for Quintessentially are long overdue: the next accounts, made up to 30 April 2021, were due by 31 January 2022.
9. QF and Mr Brooks didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Is PRCA a serious organisation?

1. Here I relate my latest unsatisfactory experience with the Public Relations and Communications Association (“PRCA”), the world’s largest professional PR body.
2. On 10 May 2023, I called PRCA to clarify whether Lord Jackson’s UK Political Insight Ltd is a PRCA member (see 18 May 2023 post). I spoke to Henry Redshaw, head of membership development, who answered my questions.
3. Thanking Mr Redshaw, I said I’d email him straightaway for written confirmation of what he’d told me on the phone about UK Political Insight Ltd and PRCA. As I said, I wanted the information in writing.
4. On 12 May 2023, I spoke again to Mr Redshaw because he hadn’t responded to my email dated 10 May 2023. The PRCA man again said he’d reply to my email.
5. Nevertheless Mr Redshaw didn’t respond to the email. Why?
6. On 18 May 2023, I wrote about UK Political Insight Ltd and PRCA on the blog.
7. As I say, I was disappointed Mr Redshaw didn’t respond to the email. His non-responsiveness only reflects poorly on PRCA. Hence why I ask: Is PRCA a serious organisation?
8. I put these points to PRCA, but to no avail. Press contact Gabriela Weiss didn’t respond to requests for comment.