A senior figure at Oxfam Great Britain has dramatically resigned from the charity's board of trustees, condemning what he called the 'cruel and inhumane' treatment of its former chief executive and demanding an external regulatory investigation.
Trustee's Damning Resignation Over Governance Failures
Dr Balwant Singh, who joined the Oxfam GB board in November 2022, stepped down in protest a month after Halima Begum was forced out as CEO in December. In a resignation statement, Singh said he had 'lost confidence in the board's governance, integrity, transparency and accountability'.
He stated that the failures were now so severe they required intervention from the Charity Commission, the regulator for charities in England and Wales. 'These failures are now sufficiently serious and systemic to warrant external regulatory intervention,' Singh declared.
His final act as a trustee was to issue a public apology to Begum. 'I feel morally obliged to resign from the Oxfam GB board and my last act before I leave is to apologise to [Begum] for the cruel and inhumane way she has been treated. We should have been better than this,' he said.
Internal Conflict and a Forced Departure
The resignation follows weeks of reported infighting among Oxfam's senior leadership. Begum, who was appointed CEO in late 2023, left the organisation in December after the board made a unanimous decision that trust and confidence in her leadership had been lost.
This decision followed a review by the employment investigation firm Howlett Brown, which was appointed to examine concerns around Begum's leadership. Singh criticised the process, alleging the findings were not shared with Begum and she was denied a right of reply. He also condemned what he described as 'brutal' briefings against the former CEO.
The controversy also involves the charity's former chair, Charles Gurassa, who stood down in November. It was reported that Begum had filed a grievance claim against Gurassa prior to his departure, which he told the board contained inaccuracies.
Calls for Independent Investigation and Regulatory Action
In response to the escalating crisis, Oxfam announced on 9 January that it would commission an independent review of its board processes following Begum's exit. The charity stated this review would assess whether the board and trustees acted in line with their duties.
However, Singh's resignation statement goes much further. He has explicitly called for the Charity Commission to 'remove [this board] and launch an independent investigation into governance failures'.
Oxfam, one of the UK's largest charities, has been embroiled in governance scandals in recent years. When contacted for comment, the organisation referred to its 9 January statement, adding: 'As this review is independent, Oxfam is unable to comment further at this stage, to ensure the scope, process, and outcome are not affected.'
A lawyer for Halima Begum said last month that she had been subjected to 'a victimising witch-hunt'. The unfolding scandal raises significant questions about the governance and internal culture at a major pillar of the British charitable sector.
