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Prince Andrew: Standard Chartered pulls plug on mentor scheme – report Prince Andrew mentor scheme 'loses Standard Chartered partnership'
(32 minutes later)
Bank is said to be latest firm to end involvement with prince’s initiative after BBC interview Bank is reportedly latest firm to end support of initiative after royal’s BBC Epstein interview
Standard Chartered has reportedly become the latest corporate partner to withdraw from Prince Andrew’s business mentoring initiative as pressure continues to build on both sides of the Atlantic. Standard Chartered has reportedly become the latest corporate partner to withdraw from Prince Andrew’s business mentoring initiative as pressure continues to build on both sides of the Atlantic over his ties to the child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The reported move by the banking multinational, which is not expected to review its partnership when it ends in February, comes after KPMG ended its £100,000-a-year sponsorship and a page listing corporate sponsors was removed from the Pitch@Palace website. The reported move by the banking multinational, which is not expected to review its partnership when it ends in February, comes after KPMG ended its £100,000-a-year sponsorship and the Pitch@Palace website removed a page listing its corporate sponsors.
Another company, Aon, also said it had asked for its logo to be removed from the Pitch@Palace site, where the insurance broker had been described as a “global partner”. The insurance broker Aon said it had asked for its logo to be removed from the Pitch@Palace site, where it had been described as a “global partner”.
The latest developments coincided with calls in the US by a woman, who claims Jeffrey Epstein committed a “vicious, prolonged sexual assault” against her when she was 15, for Prince Andrew to come forward with information about the convicted sex offender. In the US a woman who claims Epstein committed a “vicious, prolonged sexual assault” against her when she was 15, has called for Prince Andrew to come forward with information about the financier who was found dead in a jail cell in August while being held on child sex trafficking charges.
Amid other fallout from the prince’s interview with the BBC at the weekend, the University of Huddersfield has said it will consult its student body over the prince’s position as chancellor after a panel voted unanimously to lobby for the duke’s resignation from the post.Amid other fallout from the prince’s interview with the BBC at the weekend, the University of Huddersfield has said it will consult its student body over the prince’s position as chancellor after a panel voted unanimously to lobby for the duke’s resignation from the post.
The Huddersfield Students’ Union panel approved a motion calling for Prince Andrew’s removal from his ceremonial post at the university that read: “We as students at the University of Huddersfield and members of Huddersfield Students’ Union should not be represented by a man with ties to organised child sexual exploitation and assault. The Huddersfield Students’ Union panel approved a motion calling for Andrew’s removal from his ceremonial post at the university that read: “We as students at the University of Huddersfield and members of Huddersfield Students’ Union should not be represented by a man with ties to organised child sexual exploitation and assault.
“We need to put survivors of sexual assault above royal connections and show students, alumni and prospective students that this institution cares about their wellbeing, irrespective of the status of the alleged perpetrator,” it continued.“We need to put survivors of sexual assault above royal connections and show students, alumni and prospective students that this institution cares about their wellbeing, irrespective of the status of the alleged perpetrator,” it continued.
A spokesperson for the university told the Guardian on Tuesday: “We are aware of the students’ union meeting last night and the motion it passed regarding the chancellor. We listen to our students’ views and concerns and we will now be consulting with them over the coming weeks.”A spokesperson for the university told the Guardian on Tuesday: “We are aware of the students’ union meeting last night and the motion it passed regarding the chancellor. We listen to our students’ views and concerns and we will now be consulting with them over the coming weeks.”
Tristan Smith, the third-year student at the University of Huddersfield who tabled the motion in October, said a large jury of students selected at random had unanimously voted to lobby for Andrew’s resignation. Tristan Smith, the third-year student at Huddersfield who tabled the motion in October, said a large jury of students selected at random had unanimously voted to lobby for Andrew’s resignation.
“Not a single person from the uni approached me and disagreed with my concerns,” Smith said. “[Prince Andrew] should have the moral integrity to condemn what Epstein has done, and he hasn’t. There is not enough accountability. These are values my academic institution should hold, so I would hope the university would listen to the students.”“Not a single person from the uni approached me and disagreed with my concerns,” Smith said. “[Prince Andrew] should have the moral integrity to condemn what Epstein has done, and he hasn’t. There is not enough accountability. These are values my academic institution should hold, so I would hope the university would listen to the students.”
The duke, 59, has faced a growing backlash since he defended his friendship with Epstein in a TV interview with the BBC presenter Emily Maitlis on Saturday night.The duke, 59, has faced a growing backlash since he defended his friendship with Epstein in a TV interview with the BBC presenter Emily Maitlis on Saturday night.
The former Labour MP Chuka Umunna, now a candidate for the Liberal Democrats, called Prince Andrew “a complete disgrace” on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Tuesday.The former Labour MP Chuka Umunna, now a candidate for the Liberal Democrats, called Prince Andrew “a complete disgrace” on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Tuesday.
“I cannot believe the interview that happened,” Umunna said. “I do not understand why public figures, particularly politicians, have been pulling their punches on this.”“I cannot believe the interview that happened,” Umunna said. “I do not understand why public figures, particularly politicians, have been pulling their punches on this.”
Umunna added he thought the duke had let down the institution of monarchy and had shown a “breathtaking” lack of self-awareness. Umunna said he thought the duke had let down the institution of the monarchy and had shown a “breathtaking” lack of self-awareness.
While the justice secretary, Robert Buckland, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday that it was not appropriate for him to comment, the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, told Sky News: “I think he [Prince Andrew] should cooperate with all the authorities and make sure justice is served.” The justice secretary, Robert Buckland, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday it was not appropriate for him to comment, while the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, told Sky News: “I think he [Prince Andrew] should cooperate with all the authorities and make sure justice is served.”
The former Downing Street director of communications Alastair Campbell seemed to defend the duke on the Today programme on Tuesday, and said he thought the royal’s BBC interview had been “a mistake”. The former Downing Street director of communications Alastair Campbell appeared to defend the duke on the Today programme on Tuesday, and said he thought the royal’s BBC interview had been “a mistake”.
He said the duke’s “manner was really wrong” and “he didn’t really have answers to some of the very, very difficult questions”.He said the duke’s “manner was really wrong” and “he didn’t really have answers to some of the very, very difficult questions”.
“There is a danger of a, what has been a kind of low-running frenzy for some time, becoming a bit of a crisis for him,” he said. “Now, as it happens, I think the interview was a mistake, I don’t think it was as bad as it is now being defined.”“There is a danger of a, what has been a kind of low-running frenzy for some time, becoming a bit of a crisis for him,” he said. “Now, as it happens, I think the interview was a mistake, I don’t think it was as bad as it is now being defined.”
On Monday, it emerged that the accountancy firm KPMG was not renewing its sponsorship of the duke’s entrepreneurial scheme Pitch@Palace. Other companies supporting the scheme said they were reviewing their involvement.On Monday, it emerged that the accountancy firm KPMG was not renewing its sponsorship of the duke’s entrepreneurial scheme Pitch@Palace. Other companies supporting the scheme said they were reviewing their involvement.
The Outward Bound Trust, which the duke supports as patron, said it would hold a board meeting in the next few days to discuss issues raised by the prince’s televised rebuttal of accusations and criticism. The Outward Bound Trust, of which the duke is patron, said it would hold a board meeting in the next few days to discuss issues raised by the prince’s interview.
In the interview, the prince denied having had any sexual contact with his accuser, Virginia Giuffre (formerly Roberts), at the London nightclub Tramp in 2001, and said his alibi was a visit to a Woking branch of Pizza Express with his then 12-year-old daughter Beatrice, as well as a medical condition that made it “almost impossible” for him to sweat. The prince denied having had any sexual contact with his accuser, Virginia Giuffre (formerly Roberts), at the London nightclub Tramp in 2001, and said his alibi was a visit to a Woking branch of Pizza Express with his then 12-year-old daughter, Beatrice, as well as a medical condition that made it “almost impossible” for him to sweat.
The woman who came forward on Monday to claim Epstein had sexually assaulted her is one of about a dozen women suing the late financier’s estate for alleged sexual abuses.The woman who came forward on Monday to claim Epstein had sexually assaulted her is one of about a dozen women suing the late financier’s estate for alleged sexual abuses.