In November’s Reputation Report, our team of experts analyse the departure of Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and what lessons can be taken for other organisations facing crises. We also look at Labour’s continued battle with UK businesses, as well as the extraordinary allegations facing Premier League referee David Coote.
The Archbishop of Canterbury: Can leadership changes draw the line under a crisis?
Tim Jotischky, Divisional Managing Director (Reputation)
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation was unprecedented in modern times and the first since a 17th century predecessor refused to swear allegiance to King William III.
Justin Welby’s position was widely thought to be untenable after he was criticised for his “lack of curiosity” by an independent review into the prolific abuser John Smyth; was attacked by a fellow bishop for his inaction; and failed to win the support of the Prime Minister. Justin Welby clung on for 24 hours, but then accepted his fate, avoiding a slow-motion defenestration played out in public – a spectacle we have often witnessed with errant Cabinet ministers and other public figures.
The victims of Smyth’s abuse should always remain front of mind – what they endured was horrific and they believe that others in the Church should also take responsibility for their failings. Welby, however, believed that by taking institutional responsibility he had drawn a line under the matter.
It raises an important question for all organisations – can the leader’s departure shut down a crisis? The CBI believed so, forcing out its Director General Tony Danker after allegations of sexual misconduct in the organisation – they didn’t just throw him under the bus but reversed it over him, to use his memorable phrase – and are beginning a cultural re-set under a new leader.
But in any crisis, an organisation whose values have been called into question can only emerge with its credibility intact if its commitment to change appears to be genuine. A change in leadership may be good optics, but it does not guarantee that the necessary reforms will follow.
The Church of England has historically struggled with safeguarding issues and too often been accused of covering up abuse. It is not just another corporate entity and its approach to approach to forgiveness and human fallibility – “Let him who is without sin pitch the first stone” – will, rightly, always be distinctive. But its approach has changed and must continue to change further if it is to regain the trust of victims. Allowing the perpetrators of abuse to escape without sanction and quietly relocate, shifting the problem out of sight, can never be acceptable.
Justin Welby was criticised for his failure to act in 2013, shortly after he took over as Archbishop of Canterbury, and he has said that he would have acted differently had he been in the post for longer. More than a decade later, there is also a better understanding of following best practice in safeguarding and the need to review historic cases where safeguarding measures may have failed.
In truth, Justin Welby’s resignation was triggered by the John Smyth scandal but, as in any crisis, there were broader factors at play – it became a referendum on his leadership of the Church, not his handling of a single issue. He lacked political support or media backing and there were plenty of critical voices in the Church. Ultimately, he did not have enough credit in the bank to survive.
David Coote: Rating the PGMOL’s crisis communications response:
Neil McLeod, Divisional Managing Director (Corporate)
The David Coote situation is as sorry and desperate a tale as you could wish to see.
It began with that video of the Premier League referee making unguarded and seriously ill-advised comments about Liverpool fans and Liverpool’s former manager, Jurgen Klopp.
Suspended by the PGMOL, Coote found his story had moved on at breakneck pace with the emergence of a video allegedly showing him snorting a white substance.
The video was published by the Sun in what can only be termed as good old red-top, wipe-out front page exclusive, expertly crafted and delivered.
If Coote’s professional refereeing career was hanging by a thread through the Klopp tape, it was no doubt sent to the stands permanently by the video published by the Sun.
The following response perhaps shows we live in more nuanced times when it comes to certain elements of crisis and reputation, with messages of sympathy in abundance for Coote, coming from well-known sports stars turned pundits, sports journalists and other experts alike.
What of the PGMOL? The organisation is no stranger to dealing with game-related issues. They happen every week, the scrutiny on referees and the body is almost as intense on the scrutiny over clubs and players.
But you can imagine that no crisis plan in existence would quite be ready for the detail as to what was to come from the David Coote stories.
In that sense, the PGMOL’s response, which has been robust, efficient, and clear, shows that guiding principles in crisis management are always a firm foundation to build from. To date, it has managed to do more – it has outlined its duty of care to the individual and in doing so, has been able to show its values in the heat of a crisis.
It risked criticism from the “get him out and get him out now” brigade in doing so. But while it may never have to deal with an issue quite like this again, it has taken the opportunity to show key stakeholders it can act with calmness under pressure whilst also showing what it believes in.
Sir Keir Starmer: How has the PM handled the enduring post-budget fallout?
Hamish Campbell-Shore, Account Manager
The challenges faced by Sir Keir Starmer and his Government have been monumental since the record election victory. Despite appearing to weather the storm created by the donations scandal, the recent budget has presented a new set of reputational risks for a party that hasn’t been in Government for 14 years.
In opposition, Labour worked hard to woo business leaders with an eminently pro-private sector tone to its election campaigning, with marked success as major business leaders came out in favour of a change in Government.
Despite this, the Chancellor’s first budget has appeared to undo significant progress made by the party to inspire confidence in the private sector. A hike in employers NI contributions and minimum wage increases have received major backlash from retail bosses, with major players such as Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s warning of price increases and job losses.
Similarly, IHT increases have seen Farmers from across the country take to the streets of Westminster in protest against fiscal reform outlining that changes could put an end to their operations.
The budget has put the Labour Party on the backfoot from a communications perspective. Any attempts by the Government to outline its “pro-growth” agenda have been put on the backburner by opposition to the budget and amid growing geopolitical uncertainty, Sir Keir Starmer is struggling to gain a foothold. This is only deepened by the Labour Party’s pro-growth message being undermined by business describing it as stifling growth itself.
The benefits or nuance of policy tend to disappear when the strength of feeling is as intense as it is. This will be particularly challenging for the Government in the coming weeks and months unless they succumb to the pressure of protests and opposition to changes in the budget. Alternatively Starmer may look to shift the news agenda with eye-catching ‘retail policies’ designed to be more popular than the “difficult choices” made by the Chancellor last month.