Boris Johnson has been accused of breaching rules on public appointments after trying to appoint a key ally to a top London arts job, The Times has learnt.
The Mayor of London tried to install Veronica Wadley, former editor of the Evening Standard, which championed his campaign for the mayoralty, to run the Arts Council in London. He recommended her for the job despite the shortlisting panel judging that she was insufficiently qualified to take the role.
The appointment was resisted by Liz Forgan, chairwoman of the Arts Council in England, who took part in the shortlisting process and has suggested the appointment was effectively cronyism. The “appointment is based on reasons other than selection of the best candidate for the post,” she