Bullying charity in crisis after patrons resign

By Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter Published: 7:31PM GMT twenty-two February 2010

Christine Pratt, owner of the National Bullying Helpline, faces calls for her abdication Photo: GETTY

Christine Pratt defiantly insisted she had not breached the helplines confidentiality manners by going public, but her own congregation dull on her for what one termed "wholly inapt behaviour".

The Conservative MP Anne Widdecombe became the last of the charitys congregation to quit, following the resignations of Prof Cary Cooper, the BBC TV presenter Sarah Cawood and the Conservative councillor Mary OConnor.

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Meanwhile Mrs Pratt faced calls for her own resignation.

Liz Carnell, executive of the gift Bullying UK, pronounced she was "horrified" by Mrs Pratts behaviour, and pronounced she should right away "consider her position".

Mrs Pratt reliable that if the charitys five curators called on her to resign, she would step aside.

While Mrs Pratt insisted she had no regrets and "would do it all again", her preference to step in to the row over Gordon Browns poise has turn zero short of a mess for her charity.

Mrs Pratt had delirious the outcry over the Prime Ministers purported bullying by contacting her internal BBC air wave hire in Wiltshire at the week end to contend the helpline had perceived "three or four" complaints of bullying from people operative in Number 10 in the past eighteen months.

She pronounced her usually proclivity was dishonesty at Lord Mandelsons denials on Sunday that any bullying had taken place in Downing Street, as he responded to claims done in a Sunday newspaper.

"I was really indignant at the approach Lord Mandelson undisguised refused to confess bullying might have taken place but going to by the due processes," she said.

"At the really least, there should have been an review in to the allegations prior to any matter is made.

"And to see Lord Mandelson sitting there releasing a matter similar to that done me angry.

"We have not breached any confidentiality and yes, I would do it all again since the choice."

Her comments were utterly at contingency with the views of the charitys patrons, together with Prof Cooper, who pronounced Mrs Pratt was guilty of "wholly inapt behaviour" since she had breached the charitys manners of confidentiality by fixing an employer that "makes the particular (complainant) intensely vulnerable".

Miss Widdecombe said: "I bewail they went open on it. They might not have declared names but they have declared the workplace.

"It is only similar to a clergyman reception admission and observant he has talked to a killer - it rught away starts a hare running.

"Whoever contacts a bullying helpline has to be reassured that their sum will be kept confidential."

Although the helpline"s website lists the cocktail thespian Mz Bratt as a patron, her government association pronounced she had never been reliable as a enthusiast and was "very surprised" to see her name on the website.

As well as plunging the gift in to crisis, Mrs Pratts preference to take on the Labour Party additionally threw the spotlight on the helpline"s agreement with a association run by her husband.

The Labour MP Anne Snelgrove, whose subdivision is in Mrs Pratts home locale of Swindon, suggested that she had cut off links with Mrs Pratt carrying helped launch the gift in the Commons in 2007 after reception complaints about the approach the gift was run.

She pronounced the gift infrequently referred callers to a human resources consultancy run by David Pratt, though nothing of the complaints were inspected by the Charity Commission.

Mrs Pratt stood her ground, observant the charitys agreement with her husbands association had been authorized by the Law Society.

But her father ruefully certified his mother had no thought only how most debate she was about to stir up when she emailed her internal air wave hire on Sunday.

"I dont think Christine entirely realised the implications of her email," he said.