Equalities chief suffers two more resignations

Two more senior figures have left the Government's Equalities Commission, at the end of a grim week for its high-profile chairman, Trevor Phillips.

Ben Summerskill, the chief executive of the gay rights group Stonewall, has joined the list of commissioners who say they cannot work with Mr Phillips because of his leadership style and the controversy he attracts.

"As someone who frequently refers to himself as a politician, Trevor must understand that the catalogue of negative headlines is not helpful to people who need the practical benefits of the work the Commission does," Mr Summerskill said yesterday.

He is the sixth commissioner to leave since April, and the fourth since Mr Phillips was unexpectedly granted a second term in office last week. This week, the Commission was rebuked by the National Audit Office over payments to freelance staff.

Alun Davies, chair of the Commission's Disability Committee, has also resigned because of "family and full-time work responsibilities". He said his decision was made in May, and was not linked to "events of recent days".