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Boris equality champion sacked for 'n word' slur
Ross Lydall29.10.09
A senior manager at Boris Johnson's regeneration agency has been sacked for using “extremely offensive and racist” language.
Nick Hoare, an interim director at the London Development Agency, was dismissed within hours of allegedly using the “n word” during a meeting.
The LDA is the Mayor's body responsible for preparing for the 2012 Olympics and championing equality, particularly for ethnic minority businesses and disadvantaged communities.
Three staff members who were at the meeting filed formal complaints, leading to Mr Hoare being summoned before LDA chief executive Peter Rogers and sacked immediately. Today Mr Hoare denied using the “nword”.
He told the Standard: “I wouldn't say such a thing. I'm not a racist.” He said he had been “misheard” and had been “framed by an external party who has a business interest”.
Mr Hoare had been working as the LDA's interim director of contracts management and commissioning since July and had previously worked in Whitehall for the Department of Communities and Local Government. The LDA, which has a £469 million annual budget and oversaw the £1 billion Olympic land purchase in Stratford.
It was the quango at the centre of the Standard's revelations in 2007 and last year about questionable loans obtained for community groups by Lee Jasper, an aide to then-mayor Ken Livingstone.
The incident involving Mr Hoare happened on Tuesday, apparently at the LDA's headquarters at the Palestra building in Southwark.
An LDA source confirmed that Mr Hoare was sacked yesterday and said he had used “extremely offensive and racist” language during the meeting.
The source said: “It was not a phrase you could ever use in public. It is incredibly offensive. All of the people in the meeting made a complaint. Some were from outside organisations and were understandably offended.”
John Biggs, a Labour member of the London Assembly and former vice-chair of the LDA, said: “Boris has found himself in deep water with racial insensitivity in the past. This is the right thing to do and it's good the organisation is responsive to these issues. Many Londoners will be deeply offended by this behaviour.
Mr Hoare is not thought to have had any other complaints against him. He added: “My boss, Sarah Ebanja, she is a coloured person. She knows I'm not racist.”
Reader views (48)
What a travesty of British fairness and justice if he did say it, and if he didn't say it the implications don't bear thinking about, that a persons career and life can be so devastated because of the words of a couple of people who may or may not have got it right is absolutely rediculous, a far bigger crime than the one Mr Hoare is alleged to have commited.
- Ginny, Basildon Essex
I as a mate & Drinking Buddy of Mr Hoare can without any hesitation confirm that over the last 10 years of just social beer drinking & golfing fun with him, that i have NEVER heard him say any form of racist remark, in fun,or in gest, never!
He of all people would not say a racist remark!
- Steve M Rugby, Rugby
Thank you to all of your comments, I understand why you would make them given what has been writen. However has anybody asked what it is alleged I said? Or, as one enlightened person asked in what context it was said. In fact it was'nt either. But what I was alledged to have said (whilst somebody else was talking) was 'that's the 'n' in the water park'. A totally non sensical statement for which there was no context of discussion. We were'nt talking about people and we were not talking about water or parks. So thank you to those with an open mind. To the others I am sorry you were mislead.
- Nick Hoare, London
Regarding Peter's comments the people at the meeting were a new member of staff, a Director of the same department NH worked in and a consulatant from a well established Accountancy firm who was a secondee to the Agency and the Directors department. The rumours are that the changes NH was suggesting could have exposed the Director attending the meeting as not being up to the job which would also have reduced the need for the consultant. So take that as you may. Rumours also in the LDA are that although NH had a tough approach to work he would not have said those comments and therefore the allegation of a fit up is a possibibility as he was making headway in his tasks to tighten up the department.
- Ggoldsmith, Brighton
I cannot believe this gentleman would use this word. Who were the complainants? What were their motives? This sort of thing is tearing a once relaxed country apart, and angering many of the public.
- Peter, Watford UK
@ Frank
Elephants may be endangered but unlike dinosaurs, they are not extinct. Might be because they have brains bigger than a peanut.
I can assure you that the papers would be all too glad to run stories of black people paid by the public purse racially abusing whites. You'd buy one wouldn't you?
Stop arguing from the specific to the general. This case is to be viewed in isolation, not through the prism of your self-pitying and false sense of persecution.
Might I suggest that all those of you who struggle to understand the complexities of this issue watch "The Event" on Channel 4 tonight? And that includes the sock-puppet who blames only young men for using the N-word - where is the proof of that weak-minded generalisation?
- Ganesh, London, England
Dave
No that does not make sense, it smacks of one rule for one and one rule for another. That has never worked and never will.
So its only racism if you have "power"?
If a group of youths decide to kick a white mans head in, they have power, the power of life or death, hence racism is equally bad whoever is perpetrator or victim.
- Russell, London
"Jack from London, your comment is obviously disingenous. Your premise, although perfectly sound, is completely out of context here and irrelevant.
- Mohammed, London"
Why is Jack's comment out of context here and irrelevant? In the interests of equality, Jack is right Mohammed. If you want equality this means that everbody is treated equally under the law, you cannot pick and choose your version of a law just to suit yourself. If people don't like that word being used, they should not use that word themselves. If they do they are hypocrites.
- Pat, Essex
Dave
That's just defeatism and may apply in terms of international politiking but in Britain on a high street sorry not buying that.
Blaming white europeans for slavery for example is crass. The slave trade could not have happened if slavery itself was not endemic in the african societies that provided the slave trade victims. Most slaves never saw a whit person till they got to the docks to be shipped.
Skavery was endemic in europe serfdom of the medieval ages was little more than slavery. Slavery still existsi in themiddle east and indian sub continent. I don't see any crisade going oin their to stop it yes people still have gang ups over something that was abolished inthis country over 100 years ago thats 4 generations ago.
If you live in the past it will control you and your thinking. It makes you a black man and me white personally I think I am a human first creed does not define or limit me in my thinking about others.
- Duncan, Kent
@ Rob,
if you don't think people in public offices are held to higher standards, then I don't know what to tell you.
as for the clumsy uncle at a wedding attempt to be knowledgable about Rap culture... well, lets just say you've not convinced anyone.
- Scotty, London
Knowledgable dinosaur huh Frank? half right anyway.
if you actually want to educate yourself, just a little, go look up the history of the N word, and the actions of the african americans to claim it back and strip it of its ability to offend.
in this case, our hero doesn't have this option - its clearly a racial pejorative.
- Scotty, London
Dirk Diggler - black people appropriated the 'n' word to take the sting out of it just as the gay community has taken the 'q' word over. But the face remains that the 'n' word usage in the 1970s normally came accompanied with a skinhead boot. So it's not political correctness gone mad - it's showing people respect and courtesty.
- Tony Mcmahon, London, UK
As a black man, Duncan, I agree with you (and Dissapointed of Crawley and to an extent Frank) that of course there are racists of all creeds and colours but read my earlier post about rationale for use of language.
I hear all sorts of people of all creeds talk about themselves in negative terms with language that the mainstream would find shocking alot of it is a defiant reaction to negative self image. However language is about power. If, generally, a non-white person says or does something racist to a white person there is not always the outrage there should be because in British (and world) society historically and at present the economic, political and social power is in the main held in the main by white people so the words lack power.When its the other way round the words have power because they bear real threat of power. White people will generally never understand this (and some non-white people will therefore however consciously or sub-consciously play this up)I think but apply this scenario to your relationships and relative power in thise relationships - generally if a woman calls you a **** then you probably roll with the punch but if you as a man retort and call a woman a **** there is real power and threat in that and its unacceptable.
Does this make sense to you now?
- Dave, London
Clearly this person had the wrong job. He has now been relieved of his duties.
- Leon, London
Oh dear Tiny. Holding public office doesn't mean you are held to different rules regarding offensive language. Rappers regularly use offensive and rascist language and no one says a word about it least of all a public authority. A rappers intention, by his nature of being an 'artist', is to be heard by as many people as possible and a lot of those words are nasty. Colour shouldn't be an issue but it is when it comes to certain things - like this. Do you get it now?
- Rob, London
@ Ganesh, London, England
Rather a knowledgeable dinosaur than a stubborn elephant!
The trouble is Ganesh, we will never get the opportunity to discuss the merits of a case where racism is perpetrated by an individual who is not white.
Any and all cases of this nature are never reported as racism. They are always dismissed or passed of as some other kind of incident by a pandering society, be it the Police, media or whomever.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Couldn't have happened at a better time, just as the BNP may need a new leader!
- Nowan King, London
Shouldn't we be congratulating the LDA for taking swift and decisive action? Mr Hoare's comments were clearly abhorant to his colleagues and were obviously not representative of the LDA. They made a stand which clearly demonstrates that such thinking is simply not acceptable!
- Jules, London
He deserved to be sacked for what he said but he'll pop up in another high paying public sector job soon enough. These consultants always do.
- Angela, London
I guess the only thing is that at least this was dealt with quickly and decisively.
- Scotty, London
Being a black woman I can tell you decent, hard working black people do not use that word at all. It's the stupid young black men that use the term as they think they are rappers/gangsters. It shouldn't be used by anyone at all - EVER!!
Just for the record Home Counties Frank and your sarcasm, yes there are plenty of black people that are racist against white people I know a few who have nothing but hatred for them.
- Disappointed, Crawley
What I dont understand is why is it ok for black people to use the 'N' word and nothing is said about it, no one is firing etc, but a white person uses it and there is uproar each and every time. If the word is that offensive NO ONE should be using it, period. Once again we see PC police out with evidence that ONLY white people can be racist in this country, something that is untrue.
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London
If a word is unacceptable it should not beused by anyone. If a word is that offensive it cannot be justified even by the group it is a slur against other than in a very few circumstances.
I don't see other groups using a racially charged word about themselves as much as the afro carribean community uses the 'N'word. if you don't think its acceptable for another ethnic group to be using it then you shouldn't use it either.
Frank it's idiots like you who demean sensible debate. No one believes only white middle class males are racists. Anyone who has lived in multicultural Britain and went to ethnically diverse schools knows to well that racism is alive and well in all communities.
Which may shock a few of the Guardian reading left wingers in the sand socialist but its true.
- Duncan, Kent
Rob,you come accross as being very unenlightened,i actually feel sorry for you.Since when did rappers hold a public office.Please try thinking first before speaking.
- Tiny, London
I hope that Cameron is more careful in selecting his cronies for high office after the next Election. Boris must know some honest and decent Tories, mustn't he? Or perhaps they are all corrupt and untrustworthy.
- D Dare, Kenton England
johnny norfolk "What is the N word. Have we become so foolish in this country when it will not be even printed. It all depends in what context it was used".
do me a favour and give me an example of using this word on an acceptable context.
- James, london
This Nick Hoare has or had, a dream job in the public sector. Little effort, pay that is out of sight to most people in the private sector, and all he had to do to keep this lifestyle forever, was to obey the PC rules, his stupidity alone merits dismissal. He'll turn up in another party job soon, no doubt.
- Martin, London
Jack, point re rappers noted however. Whilst a your gf or wife or gf might call herself a b**** or you might call your mate a b****** or a "c" word out of jest, would you approve of a stranger calling your wife or mate one of those words respectively? No. Use of words is about power and context.People appropriate words about or for themselves which lessen the pain or hurt of those word but the pain is still there when someone else says them as, whilst we know that the wife or a mate says it in jest we do not know whether it is something more sinister motivating a stranger to say the same words.
- Dave, London
@ Frank -
Why do some dinosaurs perpetually rail against the modern world? The question is not whether only white people can be racist. That's an interesting discussion when relevant - but it's totally immaterial in this case.
THIS sacking is about a named individual using a racially-charged slur in the execution of a public office. He will have signed a contract forbidding such behaviour quite willingly. A deal's a deal - he must play the white man and go quietly.
Anyone who objects to upholding an employers' standards of behaviour should seek employment elsewhere. Its not the 1930s anymore. Get over it.
- Ganesh, London, England
Boris must be getting good at sacking advisers. How many totally inappropriate people has he empoyed and had to fire now?
Any news on him trying to improve London's air pollution for which we're getting fined £300 million or is he still too busy interfering with the police?
- Bob, London
Errr...'scuse me, but why are people praising Boris when he had NOTHING to do with the (perfectly correct) dimissal of this man? He was sacked by the CEO of the LDA, Peter Rogers, and NOT by the mayor.
- Richard, London UK
Sally, your comparison is at best disingenius at worst a lie, Ken lost more than one member from the LDA, just because they "left" doesn't mean they weren't pushed, it's typical Labour spin. The staff he didn't lose were all investigated for perpetrating fraud. Would you rather have someone be booted out for being rubbish at their job or spend 8 years committing fraud?
- Bob, Cheam
Boris was elected to cut waste and poses on the topic in the Telegraph; Cameron is talking of an Age of Austerity. Yet we still have this cash incinerator called the LDA.
Cut it, NOW and spend the savings on reducing council tax. Putting money back into free citizens' pockets in the way to help them, not setting up ill-managed quangos for jobsworths, racist or otherwise.
- David, London
Good that Boris has dealt with this efficiently and quickly and not let sensitive issues like this drag on for months through the courts. The mayor needs the right team behind him and if this takes time to build then so be it.
- Sarah, London
@ Mohammed, London
- Jack, London is merely highlighting the hypocrisy of the perception of racism in our society.
Apparently only white people are racists, did you not know?
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
The inquest concerning the Nimrod crash (where 14 service personnel died) clearly identified a number of people who were plainly to blame. All of these have retained their jobs, yet the LDA employee was sacked immediately just for saying one word. This must be a sad, sick country to have got its priorities so badly wrong.
- Rob, Rochester
Good old Boris show the who is the boss
- Richard Edmunds, Rayleigh UK
Obviously they found the right man for the job, an idiot.
- Richard, London
What is the N word. Have we become so foolish in this country when it will not be even printed. It all depends in what context it was used.
Just what is happenig to Britain.
- Johnny Norfolk, Mileham Norfolk
Tenuous link to Boris at the very least.
Was he personaly hired by Boris?
Is G Brown responsible for the behaviour of every single civil servant?
- Mal, UK
The LDA is a waste of space, just disband it. That will save millions which could be put into regeneration. Why not just have a minister for London and the cities.
- Darren, london
I used to work in the LDA and can verify that that organisation does not attract the appropriate quality of permanent director. The LDA then regularly uses very expensive interim directors who are often inappropriate for the temporary roles thy fill.
It is hard to believe that the LDA has been made fit for purpose. If the Tories do not get rid of RDAs after the next election, the LDA should have its mandate and budget reduced by 90%.
- Jim, London
Unfortunately I have heard and faced racism of various kinds throughout my employment years in London. What gave Mr Hoare the idea that he could use that word and there would be no consequences? Imagine what he is like after a few pints! 'Jack from London', your comment is obviously disingenous. Your premise, although perfectly sound, is completely out of context here and irrelevant.
- Mohammed, London
Given the boot talk about extreme! Couldn't they of thrown him on a diversity course to brain wash him? Works I believe for most.
- Aid, London
I would like to make a formal complaint against anyone using the n word - and that includes rappers - or is there one law for one etc etc?
- Rob, London
What are we up to now? I think Ken lost 1 aide in 8 years. Boris has now lost 7 aides in a year. Boris is funny on quiz shows, personally I wouldn't send him to Tescos with a list.
- Sally Crowe, London
In the interests of fairness and equality I hope that if any Black members are caught using the 'N' word they will also be sacked.
- Jack, London
Just disband the LDA. They're in the papers for something every other week, just ditch them.
- Bob, Cheam
