Save the Children chairman Sir Alan Parker resigns after aid agency is investigated

Outgoing head says ‘change is needed’

Staff at Save the Children were among the signatories of a petition in February calling for Sir Alan to stand down (PA)

Sir Alan Parker has resigned as Save the Children’s international chairman amid intense pressure over the charity’s response to sexual misconduct.

He also stepped down from the boards of Save the Children International and the Save the Children Association.

Sir Alan’s 10-year term had been due to end in December, but the charity said he “felt it right at this moment to bring forward his succession”.

In a letter to colleagues he said: “Given the complex mix of challenges the organisation and the sector is facing, it is my view that a change is needed.

“I have therefore taken the decision to step down as chair and will do everything I can to support a smooth succession.”

Save the Children UK is being investigated by the charities commissioner over its handling of sexual harassment allegations against senior members of staff.

Sir Alan, who also founded public relations firm Brunswick, was chairman of the charity’s UK branch during alleged incidents by other members of staff in 2012 and 2015.

The Charity Commission, which regulates charities in England and Wales, said last week it had become aware of “new information” relating to sexual misconduct in the aid agency.

Justin Forsyth, Save the Children UK’s chief executive between 2010 and 2015, resigned as deputy director of Unicef in February after it emerged he was accused of sending inappropriate text messages to other members of staff while at Save the Children.

Mr Forsyth was seen as a close ally of Sir Alan, and in February admitted he made “mistakes” during his time at Save the Children UK, but said the aid agency had dealt with the issue properly, and strongly denied a number of claims.

Brendan Cox, a Save the Children executive until 2015, also apologised for “mistakes”. The husband of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox resigned from two charities set up in her memory, but denied the claim of sexual assault made against him.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, CEO of Save the Children International, said: “I would like to thank Alan for the decade of service he has given to Save the Children. We are deeply grateful for the time and dedication he has invested in our important cause.”

The Equality Party said in a Twitter post the resignation was “a tribute to the bravery of those women who called out institutional sexism”.

Staff at Save the Children were among the signatories of a February petition calling for Sir Alan to stand down.

The appeal claimed he was “ultimately accountable for both [Mr Cox and Mr Forsyth’s] cases” and called for “proactive, full public disclosure, to retain and regain public trust”.