CBI chief Tony Danker who has stepped down amid probe into claims of sexual harassment ‘mixed with young female staff at karaoke party and viewed employees’ personal Instagram profiles’

• Confederation of British Industry director general Tony Danker hit by complaints
• Among them was one from female worker accusing him of ‘unwanted contact’

Confederation of British Industry director general Tony Danker stepped aside amid claims about a karaoke party where he mixed with young female staff and looked up colleagues on Instagram.

The CBI said it had looked into an allegation around Mr Danker’s conduct in January but found that ‘the issue did not require escalation to a disciplinary process’.

Last Thursday, it was made aware of new reports about his conduct.

The Times reported a source with knowledge of the CBI said that they had been aware of allegations about Instagram and also of a karaoke party at which Danker had mixed with young female employees. 

It came after The Guardian newspaper approached the CBI over the complaints, which included claims from a female employee that Mr Danker made ‘unwanted contact with her and considered this unwanted conduct to be sexual harassment’. 

The CBI said it had looked into an allegation around Mr Danker’s conduct in January but found that ‘the issue did not require escalation to a disciplinary process’

In a statement yesterday, the CBI said: ‘We have now taken steps to initiate an independent investigation into these new matters.

‘Tony Danker asked to step aside from his role as director-general of the CBI while the independent investigation into these matters takes place.

‘The CBI takes all matters of workplace conduct extremely seriously but it is important to stress that until this investigation is complete, any new allegations remain unproven and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.’

Mr Danker apologised today on Twitter and said any upset was not intentional.

He said: ‘It’s been mortifying to hear that I have been the cause of anxiety to any colleague.

‘It was completely unintentional and I apologise profusely.

Mr Danker spoke on behalf of the business lobby group as recently as a week ago to call for tax breaks which could deliver a £52billion-a-year boost to investment and help Britain get ‘back in the game’ globally.

‘The CBI is the employers’ organisation and I am very proud to be its leader.

‘We always strive for the highest standards. I therefore support the decision we’ve taken to review any new allegations independently.

‘And I have decided to step aside while the review takes place and will cooperate fully with it’

Mr Danker spoke on behalf of the business lobby group as recently as a week ago to call for tax breaks which could deliver a £52billion-a-year boost to investment and help Britain get ‘back in the game’ globally.

The Confederation of British Industry said ‘full expensing’ – allowing firms to claim back the cost of investment against tax liabilities straight away – would help save the UK from a ‘low-growth trap’.

It comes as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt faces a growing clamour from business leaders and Tory MPs to deliver a plan for growth in this month’s Budget amid forecasts that the country is sliding into a prolonged recession.

There have been glimmers of hope for the recovery as the FTSE 100 touched a record high and a respected forecaster predicted that the economy will not shrink this year, as the Bank of England and the International Monetary Fund expect.

But businesses are still struggling as prices soar and consumer confidence weakens. Firms will suffer a fresh blow when corporation tax goes up from 19 to 25 per cent in the spring.

And a generous 130 per cent ‘super deduction’ – a temporary measure designed to boost investment after the pandemic-induced downturn – is due to end.

CBI director-general Tony Danker said that would ‘have a huge impact on investment and leave the UK falling behind its competitors’.

He added that next month’s Budget would be ‘the perfect opportunity to get the UK out of any recession and transform into a high-growth, innovation economy’. He said: ‘We know the economy can – and must – break out of its low-growth trap, but we will need action on business investment to achieve it.

‘Firms are seeing the end to the super-deduction with nothing to replace it but a big rise in corporation tax.’

The CBI’s proposal would replace the super-deduction by allowing firms to offset 100 per cent of investment against tax liabilities in the first year.

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