Fashion mogul Sir Philip Green’s reputation has been left in tatters tonight after a furious backlash over claims of sexual harassment and racism against him.
The billionaire, 66, had attempted to ban newspapers from reporting bullying allegations using controversial gagging orders on former staff.
But his court injunction was blown apart this afternoon when former government minister Lord Peter Hain named him in Parliament.
Tonight the retail tycoon said he ‘categorically and wholly’ denies any allegations of ‘unlawful sexual or racist behaviour’.
But people across Britain and beyond have threatened to boycott his Arcadia Group empire and called for him to be stripped of his knighthood with the hashtag #PinkNotGreen.
Sir Philip Green has been named in Parliament as the businessman behind an injunction over reporting of sexual harassment and racial abuse allegations
Sir Philip was outed as the subject of #MeToo allegations of sexual harassment and racism after he was named in Parliament. In the US the #MeToo movement was triggered by allegations emerging about Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein (pictured with Green)
In a statement this evening, Sir Philip said: ‘I am not commenting on anything that has happened in court or was said in Parliament today.
‘To the extent that it is suggested that I have been guilty of unlawful sexual or racist behaviour, I categorically and wholly deny these allegations.
‘Arcadia and I take accusations and grievances from employees very seriously and in the event that one is raised, it is thoroughly investigated.
‘Arcadia employs more than 20,000 people and in common with many large businesses sometimes receives formal complaints from employees.
‘In some cases these are settled with the agreement of all parties and their legal advisers. These settlements are confidential so I cannot comment further on them.’
This is the second time there have been mass calls to revoke the retail mogul’s knighthood, after the BHS scandal two years ago.
Former Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable insisted he should be stripped of the gong today.
Sir Philip has spent years feting the world’s top models and celebrities at lavish parties. He is pictured with Kate Moss in 2007 and Beyonce in 2014
Sir Vince told MailOnline: ‘He narrowly and luckily escaped losing his knighthood over the pensions scandal.
‘If these allegations are correct, he should certainly be stripped of his knighthood.’
Sir Philip has not been found guilty of any wrongdoing in a court or tribunal.
It was in Parliament that the tycoon was stripped of his anonymity after former minister Lord Peter Hain used his parliamentary privilege to out him as the mystery British businessman at the centre of harassment claims made to the Daily Telegraph.
In a bombshell statement to the House of Lords today Lord Hain said it was ‘clearly in the public interest’ that the allegations were aired.
He said the case involved ‘substantial payments to conceal the truth about serious and repeated sexual harassment, racist abuse and bullying which is compulsively continuing’.
The fashion chain tycoon was named in the House of Lords by former minister Lord Peter Hain
Following the announcement today, Twitter has been awash with shoppers saying they plan to boycott all of Sir Philip’s Arcadia Group stores, championing pink – representing feminism, over green – the retail mogul’s last name.
One person tweeted: ‘Phillip Green owns one of the biggest stores on the high street and clothes millions of British teens.
‘How dare he. How very dare he. #MeToo #PinkNotGreen’
Another wrote: ‘Fully boycotting @Topshop #PinkNotGreen,’ while someone else posted: ‘Yet another reason to stop shopping in all his stores #pinknotgreen.’
Social media users were quick to comment on the last-minute dismantling of a feminist book display at Sir Philip’s Oxford Circus Topshop store recently.
The fashion chain was forced to apologise after Scarlett Curtis’s ‘Feminists Don’t Wear Pink’ vanished from the shop just 20 minutes after the stand was set up.
That day, Ms Curtis, who is the daughter of screenwriter Richard Curtis, started the #PinkNotGreen hashtag.
Sir Philip Green, pictured in Mayfair earlier this month (left) and (right) with his wife Tina
She wrote on Twitter: ‘I’m not allowed to say much on this right now but let’s just say I am heartbroken and the patriarchy is still alive and kicking… #PinkNotGreen’
Today Twitter users posted: ‘Phillip Green sells FEMINIST branded t-shirts but uses NDA’s to conceal allegations of sexual harassment, racist abuse and bullying.
‘Stop buying feminist merch. Start supporting women’s rights. Stop supporting this man. #MeToo #PinkNotGreen’
There was further fury from MPs, with Labour MP Clive Lewis tweeting: ‘Sir Philip Green named as man at centre of ‘UK #MeToo Scandal.
‘Given this non-disclosure payments story and his part in the BHS pensions scandal I’d bet good money ‘Sir’ won’t be part of his title for much longer.’
While Labour peer Lord Adonis praised Lord Hain for naming Sir Philip in Parliament.
In a message on Twitter he said: ‘My friend Peter Hain just done great public service in the House of Lords naming Sir Philip Green as behind the injunctions against the Daily Telegraph preventing them reporting serious allegations.’
Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable (pictured at a demonstration in London on Saturday) said the Topshop mogul only narrowly escaped losing his honour after being caught up in the BHS pensions scandal two years ago
And Frank Field, chairman of the Work and pensions select committee and a long-time critic of Sir Philip, called for reform of Parliament to make it easier to report abuse.
He said: ‘I have been talking this evening with somebody who witnessed grotesque bullying at work. They would like for what they witnessed to be shared, through the House of Commons, with the nation.
‘I am seeking to raise urgently with the Government the importance of having a mechanism in Parliament through which the voices of victims of abuse can be heard.
‘This would develop the role of the House of Commons in a way which stands up for people who have little money, against those who have much.’
It comes after appeal court judges sparked anger with a controversial order blocking the Daily Telegraph from publishing details of allegations made by former employees.
It is said five former staff members signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in which they agreed to remain silent over their claims.
The newspaper said it learned of the secret deals while investigating separate claims of bullying and intimidation.
The three appeal judges ruled the information was likely to be in breach of the NDAs and imposed an injunction preventing publication of the allegations until a full High Court hearing could be heard.
Social media users were quick to comment on the last-minute dismantling of a feminist book display at Sir Philip’s Oxford Circus Topshop store recently (pictured)
However, laws on free speech in Parliament mean politicians cannot face legal action for speaking in the House of Commons or Lords, and everything said there can be published.
The naming of Sir Philip in Parliament also sparked a backlash against the controversial legal cases by which the rich can gag newspapers and the media.
Maria Miller, chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, told MailOnline: ‘Given the huge influence Philip Green wields in the world of business it is surprising the Court of Appeal decided it wasn’t in the public interest to make public the string of payments that have been made.’
Speaking about NDAs generally, she added: ‘It’s unacceptable that the current system allows the use of NDAs to cover up serial offenders and that cannot be allowed to continue.’
Green, pictured with disgraced Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein in 2009. There is no suggestion Sir Philip is linked to any of the allegations made about Weinstein
Sir Philip lives a glamorous lifestyle, mixing with the country’s top models. There is no suggestion anyone pictured is involved in any of the allegations against him
Tweeting after today’s statement, Conservative Deputy Chairman James Cleverly said: ‘As Lord Hain names Sir Philip Green in the House of Lords today, people must now realise that injunctions and super-injunctions are nothing more than a good way to part with large sums of money and a bad way to keep things secret.’
Sir Philip is well-known throughout Britain as the boss of Arcadia, which includes huge brand names such as Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins.
The wheeler-dealer made his name when buying and carving up the Sears empire in the late 1990s.
In 2004, he made a failed £9billion bid to buy iconic high street chain Marks and Spencer.
He was then thrust into the public eye in 2016 after famous brand British Home Stores collapsed a year after he sold it for just £1.
The company had a £571 million pension hole when it went under, with 19,000 former workers facing severe pension shortfalls
Amid public outcry over the situation, Sir Philip agreed to pay £363million into the pension fund.
He has also been criticised for the pay and conditions of both overseas and UK workers in the production lines of clothes sold in his shops.
Green with his wife Tina, daughter Chloe and her boyfriend, the model and former criminal Jeremy Meeks, during one of the family’s many trip to the Mediterranean
Sir Philip and billionaire wife Lady Tina, pictured on board their previous yacht on the French Riviera in 2014, are well known for enjoying the high life
Sir Philip’s huge superyacht was seen in Italy today, where it is undergoing repair work
A High Court judge originally refused to gag the Telegraph over the non-disclosure agreement case, but that decision was overturned on appeal.
Appeal judges Sir Terence Etherton, Lord Justice Underhill and Lord Justice Henderson caused anger when they imposed an interim injunction this week.
They said that, in all five cases, complaints had been ‘compromised by settlement agreements’ under which ‘substantial payments’ were made to the employees who had complained.
They said there was a ‘real prospect’ that publication of the details would cause substantial and possible irreversible harm to Sir Philip Green and his companies.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Theresa May pledged to hasten measures to improve regulation around so-called gagging clauses in response to questions about the case.
The Prime Minister said some employers were using non-disclosure agreements ‘unethically’ as she criticised ‘abhorrent’ sexual harassment in the workplace.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Labour MP Jess Phillips asked Mrs May to comment on the use of NDAs to ‘silence’ accusers, adding: ‘It seems that our laws allow rich and powerful men to pretty much do whatever they want as long as they can pay to keep it quiet.’
Asked about the case after Sir Philip was named in the Lords, Theresa May’s official spokesman said today: ‘I don’t think there is any comment on that I can give on that.
‘The PM was asked in the House yesterday and said she couldn’t comment on the specific case but she set out in general the action the government is taking in relation to non-disclosure agreements.’
Asked if the PM has any position on peers who use parliamentary privilege to name suspects, he said: ‘The rules on parliamentary privilege are a matter for parliament, and how they exercise these rules is obviously a matter for individual members.’
The man who built his £5billion empire selling clothes to women: How billionaire king of the high street is famed for his wild excesses, celebrity lifestyle and scandal
Billionaire Sir Philip Green has become one of Britain’s most wealthy businessmen who enjoys lavish parties and the high life – but has endured some controversies along the way.
He is worth around £4billion as the boss of Arcadia, making his fortune by selling clothes to women through huge brand names including Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins.
Sir Philip was born in north London on March 15 1952 and was educated at Carmel College in Oxford, while inheriting the family business at the age of twelve after his father died.
He left school at 15 to begin his ascent in the business world, making his way through clothing companies before eventually buying Arcadia and its raft of brands in 2002 with wife Lady Tina through her company Taveta Investments.
Sir Philip, pictured with Kate Moss, previously had trouble when in charge of discount retailer Amber Day in the early 1990s, which he resigned as chairman of after poor financial results
Sir Philip has amassed a £2billion fortune with his wife, Lady Tina (pictured together with their daughter Chloe in 2017)
The wealth has allowed him to enjoy the high life and purchase a £115million yacht, while spending downtime at lavish star-studded parties with celebrity friends such as Kate Moss, or holidaying in the Mediterranean.
But the naming of the businessman in Parliament as the mogul involved in the #MeToo scandal is not the first time he has been accused of harassment and bullying women.
Earlier this year a book claimed the retail king, 66, had ‘reduced women to tears’ during his time running British Home Stores and previous businesses including discount firm Amber Day.
He allegedly told Leslie Warman, a director at Amber Day: ‘If you don’t shut your f****** mouth, I’ll get my friends from south of the river to come for you and your family.’
The billionaire is also alleged to have commented on the weight of a woman working as a buyer at the chain.
According to the book, Damaged Goods, by Oliver Shah, which was previewed in the Sunday Times, he told her: ‘You’re absolutely f****** useless. I should throw you out of the window but you’re so fat you’d probably bounce back in again.’
He is well known for mingling with celebrities and is pictured here left with Frozen star Kristen Bell and right with Rita Ora
Green made millions of pounds cashing on a boom in retail in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s. He is pictured with Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne and Rita Ora in 2014.There is no suggestion anyone pictured is involved in any of the allegations against him
The former head of menswear at BHS, Brain Hill, said staff – ‘particularly’ young women – reduced to tears.
He added: ‘Philip would often have a meeting before he flew off in his jet to Monaco and he would just pick one person and batter them. The horrible thing is sometimes you would sit there and think, ‘Thank God it’s not me’.’
Burton’s brand director, Wesley Taylor, also claimed he was racially abused by Green, which Green denied.
But the two settled the dispute out of court.
Responding to the claims, which he denied, Sir Philip described the alleged Warman incident is ‘b*******’ and rejected the claim he made racist remarks to Taylor.
He added: ‘If you employ 40,000 to 50,000 people you have arguments from time to time. That’s how it goes.’
After leaving boarding school at 15, Sir Philip worked for a shoe importer before travelling to the US, Europe and the Far East.
Sir Philip was hauled before the work and pensions committee, pictured, in 2016 and engaged in a war of words with chairman Frank Field, whom he accused of ‘bias’
Sir Philip made his money in the rag trade in 1970s, taking a £20,000 loan from his family’s bank manager when he was 21 to help him buy and sell clothing.
One of his first major deals was buying Bonanza Jeans and Jean Jeannie before selling them to Lee Cooper in 1986 for £3m.
He then encountered controversy when he was forced out of discount retailer Amber Day in 1992, where he was chairman and chief executive, after a collapse in shares and profits. He later suffered a heart attack.
The businessman, pictured with his daughter at a party in 2015, became well-known in the UK as he built up his retail empire
Another coup was to snap up Sears retailing business for £548m. Past purchases include Owen Owen, Olympus Sportswear and Shoe Express.
He was embroiled in controversy in the late 1990s when he tried to put together a takeover of struggling Marks & Spencer. It emerged his wife had shares in the company and this was used as ammunition against his bid.
But his ownership of British Home Stores was his most controversial business move.
He took over the business for £200m in 2000 but after poor financial results he eventually offloaded it for just £1 to Dominic Chappell in 2014. It collapsed less than a year later leaving a £571 million pension hole.
It left 19,000 former workers facing severe pension shortfalls and triggered a public outcry over his handling of the business.
MPs called for Sir Philip to lose his knighthood, but he agreed to pay £363million into the pension fund.
Sir Philip was also hauled before the work and pensions committee under scrutiny from MPs, and was engaged in a war of words with committee chairman Frank Field, whom he said should resign over ‘bias’.
The billionaire told MPs he ‘did everything he could’ to ensure the success of the business and that he thought it went to a ‘good buyer’.
Chappell, who had no retail experience, was charged over the collapse of the pension scheme with three counts of neglecting or refusing to provide documents contrary to the Pensions Act 2004.
Sir Philip is also well known for enjoying holidays aboard his £115million yacht Lionheart, pictured, which is often spotted in the Mediterranean
After a trial in January this year Chappell was found guilty and ordered to pay more than £87,000, including a £50,000 fine.
Sir Philip has avoided the limelight more recently – unlike his daughter Chloe, 26, who has dated Jeremy Meeks, a US criminal banned from entering Britain known as the ‘Hot Felon’.
Who is the former Labour minister Peter Hain who named Philip Green in the Lords?
Peter Hain, the politician who named Sir Philip Green in the Lords today, is a veteran Labour minister who has served on the political front lines for almost 30 years.
Born in Kenya, Hain first rose to prominence as a leading anti-Apartheid campaigner disrupting rugby and cricket tours by all-white South African teams.
Hain, 68, entered Parliament in 1991 as MP for Neath and served in a series Cabinet posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
Peter Hain, then Northern Ireland Secretary, in his office at the Stormont Assembly building in Belfast in 2007
In his most senior post, he served as Northern Ireland Secretary and acting First Minister of Northern Ireland during a period of direct rule in 2007.
A married father of two, Hain entered the House of Lords after the 2015 General Election.
Hain’s last brush with the law came during a bizarre contempt of court case in March 2012.
The then Attorney General of Northern Ireland John Larkin tried to prosecute Hain for comments in a book about a 2007 judicial review.
The case descended into farce when the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland tried to charge him with ‘scandalising the court’, an arcane 19th Century offence. The case was dropped a month before its trial date.
Sir Philip has also been criticised for the pay and conditions of both overseas and UK workers by anti-sweatshop groups such as Labour Behind the Label, No Sweat and the student activist network People & Planet.
Speaking at the time, an Arcadia spokesman said: ‘Arcadia has a clear code of conduct to which all of its suppliers sign up. This code sets out rigorous processes and best practice for the use of labour everywhere we operate.
‘The factories we work with are also used by other well-respected retailers and, like them, we have teams who regularly inspect these sites. We take such inspections seriously and constantly review all suppliers of product to the group.’
Sir Philip splits his time between the UK and Monaco and is also frequently seen aboard his £115million yacht.
He also enjoys trips aboard the vessel, the Lionheart, to Greece and the Mediterranean.
Sir Philip is married to Lady Tina Green, another billionaire, and they have two children – Chloe and her brother Brandon.
Lady Tina owns Jersey-registered Taveta Investments, which owns 92 per cent of Arcadia, and the couple have been criticised previously over their tax arrangements because of their Monaco residence.
In 2010 it even prompted demonstrations in Topshop in Oxford Street by campaigners alleging they were avoiding playing income tax by working in the UK but living abroad.
Sir Philip is also well-known for hosting lavish parties for his friends and families frequently attended by celebrity friends including supermodel Kate Moss.
For his son’s bar mitzvah in 2005, he spent £4 million on a three-day event for over 200 friends and family in the French Riviera. He also hired Andrea Bocelli and Destiny’s Child to perform.
For his nephew, Matt, he threw a bar mitzvah at Madame Tussauds, where Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh were guests and One Direction performed.
Matt and Chloe shared a birthday party in December 2011, at One Mayfair, where Rihanna sang, and many personal friends of the family attended.
The star-studded bash was featured in the national press and cost more than £1 million.