John Allan, chairman of Tesco, to resign following allegations regarding his conduct

Tesco Chairman John Allan has announced his resignation following allegations of misconduct made against him. The claims against Allan include accusations of inappropriate touching and comments towards employees. While Allan vehemently denies three out of the four claims, he admits to making a comment about a dress suiting a female CBI worker’s figure, for which he immediately apologised. Tesco has conducted an extensive review of the allegations but found no evidence of wrongdoing. However, the company expressed concerns that the allegations could overshadow its operations. Byron Grote, a board member, will temporarily assume the role of chairman. Allan’s departure from Tesco will take place in June, concluding his eight-year tenure.

In addition, the CBI, Britain’s largest business lobby group, is facing separate allegations of sexual misconduct. The CBI has acknowledged its employment of staff members who created a “culturally toxic” environment and its failure to address incidents of sexual harassment towards female colleagues. The City of London Police is currently investigating two allegations of rape related to the CBI. The CBI has dismissed some staff members as a result of the investigation. Rain Newton-Smith, the former chief economist, has been appointed as the new director general, replacing Tony Danker, who was fired in April due to unrelated workplace misconduct complaints. Danker has acknowledged making staff members feel uncomfortable and apologized for it, but he denies involvement in other claims, including those of rape, which allegedly occurred prior to his tenure at the CBI.