LATEST: Green has said he “categorically and wholly” denies allegations of “unlawful sexual or racist behaviour”.
Topshop owner Sir Philip Green has been named in Parliament as the businessman at the centre of a “British #metoo” scandal.
Former Cabinet minister Lord Hain said he had been contacted by someone “intimately involved” in the case and felt it was his duty to use parliamentary privilege to name the retail tycoon.
The explosive move comes after an injunction was served against the Daily Telegraph newspaper, banning them from reporting a businessman’s name in connection with a nine-month investigation into “alleged sexual harassment and racial abuse of staff”.
The intervention came after Court of Appeal judges temporarily barred the British newspaper from publishing “confidential information” from five employees in relation to the investigation.
The Labour peer told the House of Lords: “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.”
After his statement was made in the chamber and broadcast on parliamentlive.tv, Lord Hain confirmed that his statement referred to the Topshop boss.
In a statement after he was named in Parliament, Sir Philip said: “I am not commenting on anything that has happened in court or was said in Parliament today.
“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 and 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.”