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| Version 8 | Version 9 |
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| Kids Company hearing : Batmanghelidjh accused of 'verbal ectoplasm' – as it happened | Kids Company hearing : Batmanghelidjh accused of 'verbal ectoplasm' – as it happened |
| (30 days later) | |
| 1.04pm BST | 1.04pm BST |
| 13:04 | 13:04 |
| Summary | Summary |
| Alan Yentob and Camila Batmanghelidjh’s three-hour grilling by MPs is now over. What have we learned from the answers by chairman and chief executive of the defunct charity? | Alan Yentob and Camila Batmanghelidjh’s three-hour grilling by MPs is now over. What have we learned from the answers by chairman and chief executive of the defunct charity? |
| 12.44pm BST | 12.44pm BST |
| 12:44 | 12:44 |
| Batmanghelidjh 'We couldn't shrink the org. because of the caseload we were carrying' #kidscompany | Batmanghelidjh 'We couldn't shrink the org. because of the caseload we were carrying' #kidscompany |
| 12.42pm BST | 12.42pm BST |
| 12:42 | 12:42 |
| Yentob says: “Emotional attachment is one thing, I think you should credit me with a bit of competence as well.” | Yentob says: “Emotional attachment is one thing, I think you should credit me with a bit of competence as well.” |
| He adds: “Over 20 years the numbers of children whose lives we changed, sent to university, transformed their lives. I don’t regret that, I just regret that we handed responded earlier to the challenges and had a realisation that it couldn’t have carried on.” | He adds: “Over 20 years the numbers of children whose lives we changed, sent to university, transformed their lives. I don’t regret that, I just regret that we handed responded earlier to the challenges and had a realisation that it couldn’t have carried on.” |
| 12.37pm BST | 12.37pm BST |
| 12:37 | 12:37 |
| David Jones asks Yentob: “Did your emotional attachment to the organisation blind you to the fact that you shouldn’t have been chairing it?” | David Jones asks Yentob: “Did your emotional attachment to the organisation blind you to the fact that you shouldn’t have been chairing it?” |
| 12.29pm BST | 12.29pm BST |
| 12:29 | 12:29 |
| Yentob makes clear he doesn’t believe the sex abuse allegations came from the Cabinet Office. | Yentob makes clear he doesn’t believe the sex abuse allegations came from the Cabinet Office. |
| 12.28pm BST | 12.28pm BST |
| 12:28 | 12:28 |
| Batmanghelidjh says: “Some civil servants have been absolutely brilliant they’ve been extraordinary people with huge commitment. Some civil servants have been absolutely malicious and unprofessional and have behaved in ways that isn’t respectful of a democracy.” | Batmanghelidjh says: “Some civil servants have been absolutely brilliant they’ve been extraordinary people with huge commitment. Some civil servants have been absolutely malicious and unprofessional and have behaved in ways that isn’t respectful of a democracy.” |
| She suggests some civil servants briefed against Kids Company, although insists these were not the source of sexual misconduct. | She suggests some civil servants briefed against Kids Company, although insists these were not the source of sexual misconduct. |
| However, she adds: “I do think it’s very suspicious for the timing at which out grant arrives in our account and these allegations arrive only our finance person and the cabinet office knew that the money had hit our account. [...] | However, she adds: “I do think it’s very suspicious for the timing at which out grant arrives in our account and these allegations arrive only our finance person and the cabinet office knew that the money had hit our account. [...] |
| “Within hours it was all over the BBC and news outlets that these allegations related to sexual abuse and Kids Company. That was the kiss of death for a charity that deals with children.” | “Within hours it was all over the BBC and news outlets that these allegations related to sexual abuse and Kids Company. That was the kiss of death for a charity that deals with children.” |
| 12.21pm BST | 12.21pm BST |
| 12:21 | 12:21 |
| Allegations of sexual misconduct came from a malicious source, says Yentob. | Allegations of sexual misconduct came from a malicious source, says Yentob. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.22pm BST | at 12.22pm BST |
| 12.17pm BST | 12.17pm BST |
| 12:17 | 12:17 |
| The Guardian Voluntary Sector’s Twitter feed is also doing some sterling work live tweeting the hearing. You can see it here. | The Guardian Voluntary Sector’s Twitter feed is also doing some sterling work live tweeting the hearing. You can see it here. |
| .@CommonsPACAC The cabinet office took your flat as surety for money?' Batmanghelidjh 'Yes' #kidscompany | .@CommonsPACAC The cabinet office took your flat as surety for money?' Batmanghelidjh 'Yes' #kidscompany |
| Batmanghelidjh: 'In 19 years we didn't receive a single penny from local government' #kidscompany | Batmanghelidjh: 'In 19 years we didn't receive a single penny from local government' #kidscompany |
| 12.12pm BST | 12.12pm BST |
| 12:12 | 12:12 |
| Were Kids Company funds used to pay someone’s mortgage? Batmanghelidjh looks uncomfortable at this question. | Were Kids Company funds used to pay someone’s mortgage? Batmanghelidjh looks uncomfortable at this question. |
| “We couldn’t abandon the children and young people in our care who were being failed by other agencies,” she says. | “We couldn’t abandon the children and young people in our care who were being failed by other agencies,” she says. |
| 12.11pm BST | 12.11pm BST |
| 12:11 | 12:11 |
| Batmanghelidjh describes a particular case where a child rejected by mental health services was passed to her charity. She says she lobbied a number of figures in government to take this “extremely troubled” child back on but without success. | Batmanghelidjh describes a particular case where a child rejected by mental health services was passed to her charity. She says she lobbied a number of figures in government to take this “extremely troubled” child back on but without success. |
| MPs ask her to provide more details. Cheryl Gillan is particularly insistent on the question of whether this individual’s local MP was informed of the case, but Batmanghelidjh can’t say whether the MP was. | MPs ask her to provide more details. Cheryl Gillan is particularly insistent on the question of whether this individual’s local MP was informed of the case, but Batmanghelidjh can’t say whether the MP was. |
| 12.04pm BST | 12.04pm BST |
| 12:04 | 12:04 |
| 12.02pm BST | 12.02pm BST |
| 12:02 | 12:02 |
| Yentob repeats his earlier assertion that it was difficult to build up reserves because of the nature of the funding given. “With restricted funding people don’t want you to just put the funding in the bank,” he says. | Yentob repeats his earlier assertion that it was difficult to build up reserves because of the nature of the funding given. “With restricted funding people don’t want you to just put the funding in the bank,” he says. |
| He says at that stage the charity looked at putting reserves in property. These will now have to be looked at by the receivers disposing of Kids Company’s assets, he adds. | He says at that stage the charity looked at putting reserves in property. These will now have to be looked at by the receivers disposing of Kids Company’s assets, he adds. |
| 11.55am BST | 11.55am BST |
| 11:55 | 11:55 |
| “I don’t know that shouting is going to get me to behave any better,” Batmanghelidjh snipes at Jenkin after a particularly emphatic call to order. | “I don’t know that shouting is going to get me to behave any better,” Batmanghelidjh snipes at Jenkin after a particularly emphatic call to order. |
| 11.54am BST | 11.54am BST |
| 11:54 | 11:54 |
| Bernard Jenkin points out that Kids Company had deficits in its “free reserve” in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011 - that’s aside from the situation in 2014. | Bernard Jenkin points out that Kids Company had deficits in its “free reserve” in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011 - that’s aside from the situation in 2014. |
| The fragility of the funding was due to the demand from children, Yentob insists. He adds that aside from “free reserves” the charity had assets it could call on to service debts. | The fragility of the funding was due to the demand from children, Yentob insists. He adds that aside from “free reserves” the charity had assets it could call on to service debts. |
| 11.50am BST | 11.50am BST |
| 11:50 | 11:50 |
| David Jones is interrogating Yentob over his role as chairman, and his concerns about inadequate reserves. Yentob insists the problem of reserves only came up later. | David Jones is interrogating Yentob over his role as chairman, and his concerns about inadequate reserves. Yentob insists the problem of reserves only came up later. |
| Jones said: “If this was a business isn’t it your duty as chairman of the board of trustees that you have adequate resources?” | Jones said: “If this was a business isn’t it your duty as chairman of the board of trustees that you have adequate resources?” |
| Yentob replied: “Until 2014 there were no questions about the financial resilience of Kids Company.” | Yentob replied: “Until 2014 there were no questions about the financial resilience of Kids Company.” |
| The MP says Yentob failed to make “difficult decisions” over which children to prioritise care for. | The MP says Yentob failed to make “difficult decisions” over which children to prioritise care for. |
| 11.42am BST | 11.42am BST |
| 11:42 | 11:42 |
| Did Yentob influence a BBC interview with Batmanghelidjh? That appears to be the suggestion from Bernard Jenkins as he questions the BBC executive about where he stood as it took place. | Did Yentob influence a BBC interview with Batmanghelidjh? That appears to be the suggestion from Bernard Jenkins as he questions the BBC executive about where he stood as it took place. |
| Jenkins describes the scene as “such a senior and interested figure at the BBC [standing] beside the producer so the producer knows that what he says to the interviewer will be heard.” | Jenkins describes the scene as “such a senior and interested figure at the BBC [standing] beside the producer so the producer knows that what he says to the interviewer will be heard.” |
| 11.29am BST | 11.29am BST |
| 11:29 | 11:29 |
| Yentob is now answering questions about potential conflicts between his role as chairman of Kids Company and as a senior executive in the BBC, which broke some of the stories that surrounded the charity’s downfall this summer. Answering the issue, he said: | Yentob is now answering questions about potential conflicts between his role as chairman of Kids Company and as a senior executive in the BBC, which broke some of the stories that surrounded the charity’s downfall this summer. Answering the issue, he said: |
| My concerns are all to do with the same ones as you which is the future of these children. The issue of the BBC and my life at the BBC is entirely separate to this. | My concerns are all to do with the same ones as you which is the future of these children. The issue of the BBC and my life at the BBC is entirely separate to this. |
| 11.26am BST | 11.26am BST |
| 11:26 | 11:26 |
| Twitter is still going wild for Batmanghelidjh and Yentob’s select committee performance. Save for the obvious jokes about the former Kids Company chief executive’s name, here are some of the best: | Twitter is still going wild for Batmanghelidjh and Yentob’s select committee performance. Save for the obvious jokes about the former Kids Company chief executive’s name, here are some of the best: |
| #kidscompany an excellent proof that compassion and good intentions are worthless without competence. | #kidscompany an excellent proof that compassion and good intentions are worthless without competence. |
| Camilla's office. #kidscompany Lavish might be a word that describes this scene. pic.twitter.com/3jmRqtROVm | Camilla's office. #kidscompany Lavish might be a word that describes this scene. pic.twitter.com/3jmRqtROVm |
| This is the best television Alan Yentob has done for years... #kidscompany | This is the best television Alan Yentob has done for years... #kidscompany |
| "@SamiraAhmedUK: "I think lack of funding was the problem." Camilla B #kidscompany" The definition of Chutzpah. Adding insult to injury. | "@SamiraAhmedUK: "I think lack of funding was the problem." Camilla B #kidscompany" The definition of Chutzpah. Adding insult to injury. |