EXCL People's Vote campaign in crisis as Open Britain board call on Roland Rudd to quit
2 min read
Roland Rudd has been urged to resign as chair of Open Britain by the pro-EU campaign group's own board, PoliticsHome can reveal.
The top advertising executive has been at the centre of a storm since sacking People's Vote chiefs James McGrory and Tom Baldwin.
Staff at the campaign for a second EU referendum have been in open revolt since Mr Rudd announced the pair's dismissal in an email on Sunday night.
Dozens have refused to turn up for work in the last two days, while they also passed a motion of no confidence in him and Patrick Heneghan, People's Vote's new chief executive, at a heated meeting on Tuesday.
Open Britain is one of five separate organisation's which makes up the People's Vote campaign.
Board members Peter Mandelson, Will Straw, Joe Carberry and Mr McGrory met on Wednesday morning and agreed a statement in which they said Mr Rudd's behaviour was "unforgivable" and demanded that he quit as chairman.
It said: "We are appalled by the recent actions of Roland Rudd as chair of Open Britain. The intimidation of staff, threatening letters, and sackings are totally unjustified given the extraordinary work that the People's Vote campaign and its staff has done over the last 18 months in galvanising significant public and parliamentary support for a public vote on Brexit.
"Mr Rudd's timing, in the week that a general election is called, is unforgivable. He has plunged the campaign into crisis at precisely the moment when millions of supporters around the country were looking for leadership.
"He has treated hard working staff as pawns in his own power games. Ultimately, he has made Brexit more rather than less likely."
They said changes made to Open Britain's constitution by Mr Rudd meant decisions on the group's future now rest with a company called Baybridge 2019 Ltd, of which he is a director.
Calling for Mr McGrory and Mr Baldwin to be reinstated, the Open Britain board added: "We would also call on Roland Rudd to step down as Chair of both Open Britain Ltd and Baybridge 2019 Ltd with immediate effects as his position has become untenable."
People's Vote has been approached for comment.
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