London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 08, 2025

CBI suspends key activities after rape and sex assault allegations

CBI suspends key activities after rape and sex assault allegations

The CBI says it is suspending key activities until June after a number of firms quit the business group following allegations of rape and sexual assault.

Dozens of firms have announced they are leaving the group or pausing their membership after new allegations about misconduct at the organisation.

A second woman claimed she was raped by CBI colleagues in a Guardian article on Friday.

The CBI said it "shares the shock and revulsion" at the alleged events.

The board of the lobbying group said it wanted to talk to "colleagues, members, experts and stakeholders" to get their opinion on the CBI's future role and purpose.

"As a result, we have taken the difficult but necessary decision to suspend all policy and membership activity until an extraordinary general meeting in June," the board said in a statement.

The board will put forward proposals at that meeting "for a refocused CBI", it said, adding that "this work and the cultural reform will be the entire and urgent focus of the organisation over the coming weeks."

Despite membership operations being suspended until June, firms will still be free to quit if they choose, the BBC understands.

The City of London Police was investigating an alleged rape at a CBI summer party in 2019 before the Guardian reported the second incident.

Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Waight from the City of London Police said that no arrests had been made and investigations were continuing, and asked anyone with information to get in touch.


Firms leaving


On Friday, retailer John Lewis was among the high-profile firms to quit the lobbying organisation, which claims to represent 190,000 companies.

John Lewis said it made the decision to quit membership of the CBI "due to the further very serious and ongoing allegations".

Other firms that have quit include: BMW, Virgin Media O2, Vodafone, insurers Aviva, Zurich and Phoenix Group, banking firm Natwest, credit card company Mastercard; B&Q owner Kingfisher; media firm ITV; insurance marketplace Lloyds of London; investment firm Schroders; and auditor EY.

The Association of British Insurers has also left, as has Energy UK, which represents energy suppliers.

Several well-known firms have announced in recent days that they are quitting as members of the CBI


Organisations that have suspended membership include: pharmaceutical giants GSK and AstraZeneca; airports operator Heathrow; retailers Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, and Marks & Spencer; banking group Santander; National Grid, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power; drinks giant Diageo; Rolls Royce; Unilever; BT; property company British Land; accountancy giant PwC; Manpower Group; British Beer and Pub Association; and Shell and BP.

The government had already announced that it was pausing its engagement with the business group.

Last week the British Insurance Brokers' Association said it had withdrawn its membership "in light of recent reports".

The CBI which employs more than 300 people, has been in crisis since allegations of a rape at one of its summer parties in 2019 and other sexual misconduct at the organisation emerged earlier this month.

Three employees have been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation by law firm Fox Williams.

The group's director-general was dismissed over separate complaints.


Staff concerns


A source close to employees at the CBI said the crisis of the past few weeks had taken an "emotional toll" on staff.

"At first there was relief that people were talking about it," the source said. "It felt as though taking it public was holding management to account."

"But now, as darker allegations have come out, this has been hard on the staff."

The source said there had been "an avalanche" of members resigning and that staff are concerned about their jobs.

"They're worried about whether the business will still be here tomorrow," the source said.

Staff will continue to work and be paid as normal until at least June.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
×