Andy Burnham believes Sacha Lord treated 'very unfairly' after being ordered to pay back £400k Covid grant
Mr Lord, founder of the Warehouse Project and Parklife Festival, resigned as the mayor's night-time economy adviser in the wake of the Arts Council's decision last week. Its probe into an application for a Covid-19 grant found 'inaccuracies' in the application from security company Primary Event Solutions, of which Mr Lord owned 30 per cent before it entered liquidation.
A spokesperson for the Arts Council said: 'Following a thorough review of the application that Primary Event Solutions submitted to the Culture Recovery Fund in 2021, our decision is to withdraw the grant that was awarded and we are seeking to recover this money.'
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Now, a week on from Mr Lord's resignation, Andy Burnham has said he believes the investigation was 'not fair to just look at the application'.
'I think it's very unfair what's happened to Sacha Lord,' he said on Thursday (February 6). 'This was a grant application in that very unprecedented time. Sacha Lord said we should be doing more to help people in the creative world that lost their income overnight. He came up with the idea of putting Greater Manchester content online [with] United We Stream."
He added: 'The grant was £400,000. Because there was a donate button on, Sacha Lord then raised funds for venues that had been shut down or people struggling in the night time economy. It raised £600,000. It entertained a lot of people, it got eyes on Greater Manchester culture at a time when everything was shut and it raised a significant amount of money.
'Yes there were inaccuracies in the actual application that was made and absolutely the Arts Council has a job to say there shouldn't be.
'I personally don't think it was fair for them just to look at the application in the narrow sense and not look at the wider things achieved. I would say this is one of the more successful grants the Arts Council has given.'
Mr Burnham also praised the promoter for 'working for seven years helping the hospitality sector without any payment from the Combined Authority'.
'He gave a huge amount of time and money,' the mayor went on. 'He has done the honourable thing and I think he should be applauded for that but at the same time let's recognise what's he's done for Greater Manchester.'
Following the Arts Council's decision, Sacha Lord said in a statement: 'While we acknowledge the change in grant status, we appreciate that Arts Council England have found that there is no finding against the company that it deliberately misled the Arts Council in this application.
'The company and its former directors have continued to work closely with Arts Council England to evidence that grant funds were used appropriately to support staff wages and company stability during the pandemic. United We Stream, for example, was a hugely successful event which raised £583,000 to support cultural organisations, businesses and individuals affected by lockdown. Supporting such businesses has always been my only mission in my various, unpaid roles.
'However, given the company's current status in liquidation, and recognising that there are a small number of unintended oversights which have impacted the application's clarity under the criteria, we accept that the grant status has been updated.
'That said, I remain concerned over inconsistencies and a lack of proportionality in the handling of this matter. Not only has this application been reviewed twice previously by the organisation's Counter Fraud team, which, after examining the financial evidence and invoicing, concluded on both occasions that it was compliant with grant guidance, but the length of time taken to bring the matter to a close raises cause for concern and these delays have taken a significant, personal toll on myself and my family.
'Furthermore, the invasion of privacy, particularly the targeted harassment of my wife during the final months of her pregnancy, has been deeply troubling and has only reinforced the importance of protecting and spending more time with my loved ones during this period of my life as a new father.
'I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a city-region - earning recognition as the 'night-time capital of the UK', ranking eighth in the World's Best Cities for Nightlife, surpassing global destinations like Budapest and Buenos Aires, and successfully introducing initiatives which will transform our nightlife for the better, such as 24-hour night buses. However, the emotional toll and experience over recent months has given me the opportunity to reflect and gradually step back from my role in Greater Manchester. With heartfelt thanks to the Mayor and his team, I have decided to continue in this direction and embrace a new chapter ahead - championing the sector on a national level with fresh focus and energy.'
The Arts Council has been approached for comment.
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