Easiest for Tesco to ‘propel me under the nearest bus’, says ex-chairman

John Allan said he is ‘completely innocent’ of allegations of inappropriate behaviour against him.

Former Tesco chairman John Allan has said he is ‘completely innocent’ of allegations of inappropriate behaviour against him (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

A former Tesco chairman who stepped down amid allegations of inappropriate behaviour has said the easiest thing for the company to do was “propel me under the nearest bus”.

John Allan, who was chairman of the supermarket giant for eight years, has said he is “completely innocent” of three of four claims against him, including accusations of inappropriate touching.

The 74-year-old, a former president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said it is “interesting” that the accusations against him were made in the same article in the Guardian newspaper.

I think we have to have a better way of dealing with these sorts of allegations that’s fair to victims

Ex-Tesco chairman John Allan

The businessman, who is also stepping down from his role as chairman of housebuilder Barratt Developments, told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: “I think companies actually feel under a lot of pressure when this sort of thing happens.

“One of the things I want to do over the months ahead – and it’s not going to help me because whatever damage has been done to my reputation has been done now, frankly – is I think we have to have a better way of dealing with these sorts of allegations that’s fair to victims.

“And I think it’s important because there are cases where people are inappropriately treated and I don’t think we should overlook that, but also fair to people who are accused, that there is some form of due process, some form of investigation, before judgments are made about them.

“Now, I think in my particular case, I think the companies that I was chair of while saying lots of nice things about all the amazing things I’ve done for them over the eight or nine years I’ve been involved with them, frankly felt they had to be seen to be doing something, and the simplest and easiest thing was to propel me under the nearest bus.

“Now, having crawled out from two successive buses and still standing, I’m going to plan over the next few months to talk to a lot of people who know a lot more about this than me to sort of see if we can devise a better way so the next person who is subject to this sort of allegation is more fairly treated.”

I don’t think I was particularly fairly treated

Ex-Tesco chairman John Allan

He added: “I don’t think I was particularly fairly treated.”

Last month the Guardian said it had been approached by four women claiming that Mr Allan’s behaviour had been inappropriate or unprofessional.

The newspaper said he allegedly touched a senior staff member’s bottom at last year’s shareholder meeting.

He was also accused of touching the bottom of a member of staff at the CBI in May 2019.

Mr Allan denies three of the allegations against him and apologised for the fourth – an allegation that he had commented on a woman’s figure.

He said of this: “Well, I thought she was looking a bit sort of miserable and I wish to heck I had never used the word ‘figure’ now and I never will again.

“I think if I had stopped by saying ‘That’s a very nice dress, it suits you very well’ I might not have gotten myself into the difficulties that I have, but it was well-intentioned, it was my intention to cheer her up.

“Obviously it was an ill-judged remark, it had the reverse thing. Having said that, I’ve talked to many women I know since then and most of them are absolutely incredulous about how somebody could be as upset as this lady appears to have been with with what I said.”

One claim was to do with Tesco’s annual general meeting (AGM) last year.

Mr Allan added: “I think it’s interesting that they have surfaced together in one article in the Guardian that after 50-plus years of, as far as I’m concerned, as far as others have perceived, impeccable conduct towards women, suddenly this little clutch of allegations appear in the Guardian.”

The supermarket said it made “no findings of wrongdoing” against Mr Allan, whose tenure was coming to an end anyway.