Former Tesco chairman John Allan – who was compelled to step down over misconduct allegations – has insisted he’s “completely innocent”, however admits making “an ill-judged remark”.
In his first broadcast interview because the controversy erupted with Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, the 74-year-old stated there was “absolutely no substance” within the claims about his behaviour.
Having additionally been requested to prematurely go away his publish chairing housebuilder Barratt Developments, Mr Allan stated the businesses had taken the choice to “propel me under the nearest bus”.
Mr Allan additionally beforehand served as president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which has been rocked by a collection of sexual misconduct allegations in latest months.
Tackled over the opposite claims levelled in opposition to him by Ridge, he stated: “There’s absolutely no substance in any of these allegations. I am completely innocent.”
Mr stated: “I think companies actually feel under a lot of pressure when this sort of thing happens.
“I believe in my explicit case, I believe the businesses that I used to be chair of whereas saying numerous good issues about all of the wonderful issues I’ve achieved for them over the eight or 9 years I’ve been concerned with them, frankly felt they needed to be seen to be to do one thing, and the only and best factor was to propel me beneath the closest bus.
“Now, having crawled out from two successive buses and still standing, I’m going to plan over the next few months to talk to a lot of people who know a lot more about this than me to sort of see if we can devise a better way so the next person who is subject to this sort of allegation is more fairly treated.”
He added: “I don’t think I was particularly fairly treated.”
Pressed over the one grievance he acknowledged about commenting on a girl’s look in a costume at a CBI convention, Mr Allan stated: “Well, I thought she was looking a bit sort of miserable and I wish to heck I had never used the word figure now and I never will again.
“I believe if I had stopped by saying ‘that is a really good costume, it fits you very properly’ I won’t have gotten myself into the difficulties that I’ve, but it surely was well-intentioned, it was my intention to cheer her up.
“Obviously it was an ill-judged remark, it had the reverse thing. Having said that, I’ve talked to many women I know since then and most of them are absolutely incredulous about how somebody could be as upset as this lady appears to have been with with what I said.”
Source: information.sky.com”