The government has admitted making an error after failing to declare that a reappointed trustee to the National Gallery is a Conservative party donor.
David Cameron granted John Singer a second term on the board of the Trafalgar Square gallery last week. In keeping with rules to ensure that public appointments are made on merit, a No 10 statement said the City financier had declared “no political activity” over the last five years.
But documents at the Electoral Commission uncovered by the Guardian show that Singer, the former European chairman of Advent International, has given the Tories £146,202.38 over the past five years, £48,500 of which was handed over in the last year. Since 2005 he has given £302,703 to the party.
The failure to disclose donations has prompted concern among MPs and staff at the gallery that Singer’s reappointment is part of a gradual “politicisation by stealth” of the gallery.
Last year, managers at the gallery privatised visitor and security services, prompting a 100-day strike. Union leaders criticised trustees for failing to make a stand against the proposals.
Mark Serwotka, head of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) which represents staff at the gallery, said: “Staff and the public were, rightly, deeply sceptical about the role of the trustees in last year’s privatisation of visitor services at the National Gallery.
“It is a cause of grave concern if a trustee’s obvious political affiliation is not being declared as this will call into question the independence of the board.”
Jess Phillips, the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, said: “It’s completely unacceptable that the Tories have failed to disclose that this appointment has gone to one of their own party donors. Transparency is key when it comes to public appointments like this – something David Cameron’s government is severely lacking.”
Singer, along with fellow trustee Charles Sebag-Montefiore, was awarded a second four-year term as a gallery trustee on 18 January.
Before taking the reigns at Advent, a global private equity firm, he previously held consulting and board roles at McKinsey & Co Inc and Central Sheerwood plc among others. He is chair of the City of London Sinfonia and chairs the board of the New College of Humanities.
When Singer was first appointed as a National Gallery trustee in 2012, the official press release confirmed his political donations to the Conservative party.
There are currently 13 trustees of the National Gallery who meet approximately two days per month to fulfil the role, and are unpaid.
Fellow trustees include Sir Michael Hintze, who has given more than £4m to the Tories, and Anne Heseltine, the wife of the former secretary of state Michael Heseltine.
In October, security guards at the gallery ended a 100-day strike over privatisation proposals. The PCS said its members had voted unanimously to return to work after an agreement was reached. It added that it had opposed the privatisation of the gallery’s visitor services and regretted that it was unable to prevent it going ahead.
A government spokesperson admitted making an error in the Singer announcement, and said it would be corrected as soon as possible.
“Mr Singer declared a recordable donation when first appointed to this position in 2012, which was published at the time. There has been an administrative error with the listing for his reappointment, and this will be rectified,” she said.
