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Selector: My severe misgivings over Mayor’s choice for arts job
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor12.11.09
The row over London's top arts job was reignited today after one of the people responsible for selecting the candidate accused Boris Johnson of turning the process into a “waste of time”.
In a letter released by City Hall, Sir David Durie said he had “severe misgivings” about Veronica Wadley, the former Evening Standard editor, who Mr Johnson wants to run the Arts Council in the capital. Sir David said she should have been ruled out of contention after the first round of interviews.
It is the latest twist in a battle that has erupted since Mr Johnson's attempt to appoint Ms Wadley as chairman of the London Arts Council was vetoed by Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw.
The Mayor and Mr Bradshaw have accused each other of acting on political grounds — with the Culture Secretary claiming that Ms Wadley is a “Tory patsy” and Mr Johnson retaliating by accusing the minister of “hypocrisy”, leaking and abuse of his position.
Mr Johnson is threatening to delay a permanent appointment until after the general election in the hope that he will then be able to install Ms Wadley.
In his letter, retired civil servant Sir David, who sat as the independent member of the three-strong panel which conducted the first phase of interviews for the post, said he believed that Ms Wadley should not have been allowed to continue. He said this was because she had “demonstrated insufficient ideas about how to make a success of the role”.
Warning that the Mayor's actions had made the initial interview process pointless, Sir David said: “I feel strongly that this whole process has been a considerable waste of time and effort.”
Mr Johnson has said: “Without doubt Veronica Wadley was the best person for the job — her support for the arts and pivotal role at the helm of a major newspaper mean she is highly-qualified to help steer the arts in London through these difficult times.”
